It’s pretty rare that I have the opportunity to interview someone that I can say I have known for longer than she might even remember. Montreal based singer/songwriter Stefanie Parnell is an up & coming artist with an incredible amount of raw talent and ambition, and I was super excited when she agreed to answer some questions for CONFRONT Magazine.

I saw Stefanie first perform when we were in high school- she would participate in every single talent show there was. It was one of those things that everyone who went to school with her knew; this girl would make a music career for herself in no time.

Today, Stefanie not only has her first album out entitled ‘Road to You’, but she is still playing shows every chance she gets, and has just released her first music video. If you haven’t heard about her yet, read below to find out her inspirations, influences, and musical history so far!

CONFRONT: When did you first start playing music?

STEFANIE: I got my first guitar on my 18th birthday and that’s when I started teaching myself how to play. Once I got the basic chords down, I began composing my own music not too long after.

CONFRONT: Why did you decide to pursue a music career? 

STEFANIE: I’ve been performing since the age of 12 and have participated in approximately 75 shows and enjoyed every second of it. Since I first stepped on stage, I really knew this is what I wanted to do. It’s been just over a year that I’ve taken my music career seriously, I am now proud to say that I have recorded my first solo album!

CONFRONT: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard it before? 

STEFANIE: I still can’t say that I have one distinct sound because I am still in the process of discovering what kind of artist I want to be. I’ve taken on various types of projects within the last year, from R&B, Folk, Rock, Pop and even a bit of Country. I enjoy trying new things and writing to different types of music, although I have to say that my first solo album “Road To You” is the core of my sound. It really reflects the type of person I am and it’s the first sound that I composed when I first picked up a guitar. The genre of the album is mainly Pop-Folk based, with a Soft Rock feel.

CONFRONT: Can fans currently download or buy your music anywhere? 

STEFANIE: My fans can purchase my album on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/road-to-you/id489440682 or on my bandcamp account: http://www.stefanieparnell.bandcamp.com I also have an online store where my fans can receive a physical copy of my album within 2 business days: http://www.stefanieparnell.bigcartel.com/ 

CONFRONT: Who are your musical influences (artists, bands)? 

STEFANIE: My current musical influences are John Mayer, Coldplay, City and Colour, LIGHTS and The Civil Wars. They are artists that I can really relate to and connect with the most. It isn’t only famous artists that influence me, it’s also local artists and other musicians I have met along the way. I try to go out weekly to support local artists, I love meeting new people that I can connect with and learn new things from. I want my fans to able to listen to my music and feel and connect with what I am expressing.

CONFRONT: Where do you get your inspiration to write your songs? 

STEFANIE: I get my inspiration from my life experiences, situations and encounters. My message in my first album is basically how I overcame life and love challenges.

CONFRONT  What music are you listening to right now that you think everyone else should be too?

STEFANIE: Coldplay’s new album, “Mylo Xyloto”. The reviews are mixed but I feel that they always bring something refreshing to the table while not going too outside of their element.

CONFRONT:  What do you think makes your music unique/stand out, compared to everything else that’s out there? 

STEFANIE: My music has a little bit of something for everyone. I have fans that range from young to old and I appreciate the feedback from all. That is what I find unique about my music, that it isn’t limited to one genre or one audience.

CONFRONT:  What is one big thing you hope to accomplish in your career?

STEFANIE: To be able to play shows weekly, to have a consistent growing fan base and have the opportunity to travel and play music for people in different cities.

CONFRONT: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

STEFANIE: Before every show, I like to take the day to slowly get ready and TRY to relax, while listening to John Mayer. Right before I perform, I like to drink a mug of boiled water with lemon to keep my vocal chords in the best possible shape!

CONFRONT: What’s something your fans wouldn’t necessarily know about you? 

STEFANIE: I make lists. Lists and lists. I just write things down all the time. Then at the end of the week, I lose my mind a bit because I have to read all my lists and make sure I’ve accomplished the majority of my goals.

CONFRONT: How does a day in your life look like? 

STEFANIE: Wake up, live, sleep, repeat. Sometimes, I’ll throw in a little tango. Who doesn’t though, right?

CONFRONT: Is it hard getting your name out there as a musician/what’s it like being an up and coming artist from Montreal?

STEFANIE: I’ve discovered that it’s easy to get your name out in the public, but that it’s difficult to stay relevant and fresh so people continue to care. The internet has been a great source for creating a buzz and for building networks. I strongly believe doing shows and selling CDs is really important as an emerging artist. I have to say it’s really exciting being an up and coming artist from Montreal. I enjoy knowing that people genuinely like my music and get excited about what I have to offer. I love the rare occasions where I’m at work passing customers at the cash and the customer says, “Hey, you look familiar”, that’s what’s great about Montreal. Doing the right networking, creating my website, putting out music videos and albums, continuing to do shows supports my existing fan base and will hopefully allow that fan base to grow.

CONFRONT: Where would you like to see yourself in another 5 years? 

STEFANIE: Happy and healthy, still doing what I love. Hopefully traveling and getting my name out there, sharing my music with the ones who need/want it the most!

You can find out more about Stefanie Parnell below:

http://www.stefanieparnell.com

http://www.twitter.com/stefanieparnell

Don’t forget to check out her music video for her song Road to You (my favorite!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2M8CJ5OdEs&feature=colike

What should you check out for the week of February 16th 2012?

As everyone knows by now, the music industry lost an incredible talent on February 11th 2012.

Whitney Houston died at the young age of 48.

We decided that it was only fitting to devote this weeks urge to her memory.

“Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time.^[1] Her awards include two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards in her lifetime. Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.^[2][3] Inspired by prominent soul singers in her family, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, and her godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing with her New Jersey church’s junior gospel choir at age 11.^[4] After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. Houston released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification.

Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Saving All My Love for You”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”). She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly “Top Pop Album”) on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Houston’s 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone‘s best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.^[5] Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.^[5] Houston’s crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for “How Will I Know”,^[6] influenced several African-American female artists to follow in her footsteps.^[7][8]

Houston’s first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film’s original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single “I Will Always Love You”, became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period.^[5] The album makes her the only female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996). The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history.^[9] Three years after the release of her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records.^[9] She released her fifth studio album Just Whitney in 2002, and the Christmas-themed One Wish: The Holiday Album in 2003. In 2009, Houston released her seventh studio album I Look to You.”

source: youtube, wikipedia

Irregularities in life have resulted in the irregularity of my updates lately; I’m sorry, and I’m working on it.  This week I’ve got three albums in my aural crosshairs; here’s what I thought:

Dirty Ghosts: Metal Moon

This is Pop Punk done right, with the added advantage of a female lead vocal!  Simple, unpretentious, punk-inspired instrumentation combine with oblique lyrics and good rhythms, the 10 tracks of this disc don’t disappoint.

But there aren’t just Punk flavours on ‘Metal Moon’.  We get a taste of Carlos Santana-style Guitar Rock, a couple of Techno Pop outbursts, a soupcon or two of Electric Jazz and even a little good, old-fashioned Arena Rock.

This is a good album; entertaining, catchy, and only suffers from one flaw that keeps it from being perfect: its lack of metadata.  That glaring omission aside, however, I can’t find fault.

Dirty Ghosts: Metal Moon – 8/10

Last Gang Records

The Mighty One: Shift

This one is supposed to have something to do with shifting people’s attitudes, or shifting their lives, or some paradigm shift the band hopes to have accomplished in working on this album.  The truth is, ‘Shift’ sounds like every other Generic Rock album out there.  This one’s for die-hard fans of Creed, Nickleback, Theory of a Deadman and other Bland Bands.

The album plays out like a hackneyed attempt at some sort of Doctor Phil-esque encapsulation of self-help slogans and motivational posters.  It’s only slightly less unpleasant to describe than it was to sit through.  Arena-ready Rock ballads and anthems glut the album, creating a sound straight from the factory floor of contemporary cookie-cutter music.

Though capably sung and performed by the lads of The Mighty Ones, the songs of ‘Shift’ are cloying, solicitous and frankly only a few rungs above Christian Rock on the scale of musical mediocrity.  Exacerbating things, of course, is the lack of metadata on the CD; if I’m going to have to listen to this dreck, it would be nice to know the names of the songs I hate the most.

The Mighty Ones: Shift – 4/10

Maple Records

The Internet: Purple Naked Ladies

I’m torn between liking and not liking this album.  The latest from Trip-Hoppers The Internet comes close to evoking mid 1990’s Massive Attack, but never quite clasps onto that Brass Ring.  But on ‘Purple Naked Ladies’, The Internet nevertheless prove themselves masters of the sensuous, slow-burning, chill-out vibes.  This is chill music, fuck music, almost all of the songs good for either your Sexytimes Playlist or your Get High Playlist.

But with an entire consequence-free and unironic tribute song all about cocaine use (Appropriately titled ‘Cocaine-Tevie’) as well as constant references to smoking dope and other means of getting stoned, it’s hard to condone some of the messages here.

The argument’s been made by far more eloquent critics than I about how prevalent various drugs and the lifestyle trappings of those drugs are in the music industry.  It’s only natural for musicians to write about what they know.  No one sensible expects any musician or performer to behave as a role model for our youth, but it behooves us all to remember just how heavily influenced we all are by music, at any age, and wonder about the messages certain artists put out.

Aside from the permissive attitudes towards drugs & hard drugs on this album, however, there’s nothing really I can fault.  Though Syd Tha Kid’s Rap elements on the album might never live up to Tricky’s work with Massive Attack sensuality, the Jazzy, Loungy, Trip-Hop is so very well done, the songs ebbing and flowing together into one complete, extended groove.

Getting passed any controversy in the subject matter, The Internet’s ‘Purple Naked Ladies’ is spot on and near-perfect Trip Hop.

The Internet: Purple Naked Ladies – 9/10

Odd Future

What should you listen to for the week of February 8th 2012? How about checking out the newest video from Marianas Trench? “Fallout” is the second single off their album Ever After and the music video was released earlier in the week. What do you think?

“The single, “Fallout” was released to iTunes on November 15. The music video was released in United States on February 1, 2012 and in Canada on February 2, 2012.”

You can also check out the band on tour in Montreal on February 23rd 2012 as the supporting act for Simple Plan.

Review by Marie-Lou Plante

One of the most famous Quebec electronic bands, Misteur Valaire, will make their first appearance at Studio 12 on Radio-Canada this Sunday. As luck would have it, I won a pair of tickets to assist to the recording Wednesday. They invited a new rap scene figure, SoCalled, who is an artist as surprising as the quintet that is Misteur Valaire.

6:00: We arrive at the Radio-Canada/CBC Tower. A guard asks my friend and I if we are there for a recording. After saying we came for Misteur Valaire at Studio 12, he points to the cafeteria and tells us to wait there so they can come and get us when the studio would be ready.

6:30: They come and escort us one floor below. After waiting a couple of minutes, we finally get into the studio. They record our clapping and our screams for the show.

7:15: France, Drouin, To, Jules and Luis are coming onto the stage, each one wearing a jacket with his nickname embroidered on it. Time to begin the recording.

Several of their hits were echoed, like Cass Hole, Press 2 and Brandon Marlow. Then, Rebecca Makonnen invited the band leader, Luis to speak about the band, future projects and how five men can work out to be in one band together.

Later, SoCalled stepped forward on stage to perform and in spite of his nervousness, he played one Misteur Valaire song in his own way. I was grateful to hear an acoustic version of Gumshoe. An impressed Luis along with SoCalled, Josh Dolgin is his real name, were invited again by Makonnen to speak about this new Gumshoe version and their collaboration for Qualité Motel, a new project for the quintet.

After the break, Misteur Valaire roared on stage with Sweet Charlemagne, Ave Mucho as a special request and ended beautifully with Monster Donte.

Also, proof of my luckiness: I won the third Misteur Valaire album “Golden Bombay” and I was able to decorate it with the autographs of the members of the band.

I am grateful to Radio-Canada for letting me assist to the recording, and I am more grateful for discovering a new artist to follow in SoCalled. What about the five jazzmen?I’ll still follow them, and I’ll probably go back to one of their shows sooner than later.

On January 20^th I made my way down to Metropolis to meet with the guys of Down with Webster (DWW) for this cover story. Before I even begin talking about the band I have to mention what I witnessed five hours before the doors opened. It was at least -15 outside and I was wearing so many layers that I could barely fit on the sidewalk. All I wanted was to get somewhere warm as fast as physically possible. As I walked from the metro to the front doors of the venue I saw a line up. I’m not talking about one or two people, there were already thirty to forty enthusiastic fans enduring the arctic weather for these six guys from Toronto. If that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is.

I arrived in the downstairs area of the venue and was immediately introduced to Pat (guitar/vocals) and Bucky(rap/vocals). We were led into the bands dressing room where I was graciously offered the entire couch to myself as they pulled up two chairs on either side of me. I brought up what I had seen just moments before.

Pat responded with a laugh. “I tell them! I’m like go home!”

I mentioned that I had overheard that some fans had been there as early as noon. I could see the looks of complete awe and gratitude on both their faces and it was Bucky who showed some concern when he stated ““I just don’t want anybody to get sick”.

So where did the phenomenon known as “Down with Webster” begin?

It was back in junior high at Glen Ames Sr Public School that Pat and Tyler (bass/keys) met for the very first time. “We started for a school music project just to show the teacher that we could actually play instruments” Pat explained. “A couple of years later Bucky walked in the scene and started fronting the whole scene. It became a live hip hop deal. We slowly started to add more members and now we’re here talking to you!”

After almost ten years together the band has successfully released their second full length “Time to Win vol.2” which hit stores on October 31^st 2011. They had been performing numerous songs off this album for several months to live audiences including “Go Time” and “She’s Dope” so fans were more than antsy to get their hands on the recorded tracks.  The album peaked at #9 on the Canadian Album Charts.

When asked what the response had been so far Bucky was eager to respond.

“This is the first length album that we’ve ever put out. Even though our first had the legs of a full length, it really didn’t and it’s really neat to be able to show our diversity on this album. We’ve all grown and it’s a really good reputation of who we are and where we are right now.” He went on to add that; “It was an awesome experience to do and I’m glad we have it out. The people who are loving it are loving it for the right reasons and it’s not because it’s contrived or poppy or because someone says it’s cool. It’s because people are finding the music themselves and actually liking it and it just feels really good.”

When it comes to bands with more than four members it always intrigues me as to how they are able to come together so efficiently to write and record an album. In my mind there has to be a great deal of head butting, disagreements and issues with consistency. According to Pat this does not exist for DWW. The group has found a way to make it work and in an industry with constant deadlines and pressure, this is a very special thing.

“We have our own little studios in our house. One guy will have an idea and send it out and someone will add onto it. On occasion we’ll all get together in a room and try and write a song and everyone will throw in an idea. It’s pretty collaborative. If someone has a good idea it’s going to find its way through.”

Having recently released their third single “Royalty” off their new album, I asked the guys which song best represents who they are as artists. I ask this question a lot when I sit down with different groups and I never really get a straight answer. I couldn’t help laughing when Bucky looked straight at me and said “That’s hard! That’s like saying which kid do you wasn’t to introduce to the world first?”

Maybe it’s not fair to make a band choose between their creations? Pat explained to me that if it was possible he would want it all. He would introduce every single song to a first time listener so that they could really grasp the DWW experience. Fair enough.

I decided to move away from the discussion of their album and move onto the reason that we were there; the live performance later that night. If you live in Montreal or you’ve been here for a show then you know just how special it is to play live in this city. The fans as well as the crowds are committed, dynamic and full of energy. It makes for a special place to play.

“We are so happy to be back in Montreal and so happy to be on tour again” Pat explained. “Like a proper tour where we just leave and don’t come for a couple of months”

Bucky added “I love this city. This city is great. It’s the perfect place to kick off the tour.”

It’s clear that bands feed off the liveliness of the crowd when they step out onto the stage. If the crowd is silent and unmotivated then it becomes difficult to find that spark to keep the energy level up for the entire show. Luckily this doesn’t seem to be the case at DWW shows. From the opening note to the closing song the fans have the W hand sign raised high up in the air.

“It’s the best high that I’ve ever had in my entire life. Like that moment right before you run out on stage, those 10 seconds before you go out there, you get so amped up its crazy” Bucky explained.

Pat went on to add that he still gets nervous every single time he’s about to step on stage. “It’s just the right amount. The minute you’re out there it’s like three sheets to the wind. It’s like “I’m up here now. There is no tomorrow. There is no yesterday. There’s just right now!”

I’ve seen many times during their shows that the crowd gets so loud that sometimes their singing is heard over that of the band.  I asked Bucky to describe that particular feeling.

“It’s such a rush. It’s so cool to see something that we’ve made from nothing screamed back at you by a room full of people.”

It seems like every single time DWW runs out on stage they are more pumped up than ever. They have smiles plastered across their faces, they’re jumping through the air and they are playing the hell out of their instruments. Aside from feeding off the crowd, what helps the guys get ready for a show?

“We’re all fun guys and playing a concert is a fun thing. We tend to party a bit and when we’re partying it’s kind of your warm up and you just take that out onto the stage.” Bucky explained.

Pat also mentioned a little pre-show ritual the band likes to take part in before stepping foot onto the stage. “We do a little hug sometimes and we yell DWW and everyone throws their hands in.”

Live shows aside, I asked the guys what their absolute favorite part was about being on the road and being in a different city almost every night.  Bucky was quick to respond.

“Being able to hang with my best friends for a month straight. Sometimes it gets annoying but the best part is being in a brand new city every day with your friends being able to explore.”

For Pat it was the chance to get off the bus and try something new. “You gotta go on an adventure. Even if it means finding a cup of coffee in a strange city, you gotta go for it. Take a little stroll.”

Curious, I asked them what their favorite city was to explore. Their answer got them bonus points.

“Montreal”

It would make sense for a band whose hometown of Toronto is only a six hour drive down the road.

“This city is the one city where I feel like I have a reasonable grasp on location wise. There are other cities where you don’t want to go too far because you don’t want to get lost” Bucky said. “Montreal is one of the places where, if I’m downtown, chances are I’m going to know where I am.”

As the interview came to an end I asked the guys what they did to stay on top in the music industry. With so much constant competition, it becomes increasingly harder for bands to remain in the public eye and hold onto their fan base.

“I feel like it’s not something where we’re like “we gotta be the best all the time” in the sense of comparing ourselves. We feel like we have to be the best that we can be. I also feel like it’s because we are so diverse in our music. We can’t even put a name to it.” Bucky went on to say that; “That’s what helps us to stand out and be above the crowd in a sense. It’s hard to ignore six dudes who look like they have absolutely no business being with each other except for the fact that they play music. I would call it unique music.

Pat added. “There’s something in it for everybody. I know a lot of people have been turned onto hip hop because of our band and people who just listened to hip hop have been turned into elements of rock or funk or whatever elements we threw in there.”

The guys laughed as they added “Or they just hate it all together.”

From what I saw outside early that day it seems like Down with Webster is doing everything right.

To learn more about Down with Webster click on the links below:

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/downwithwebster

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DOWNWITHWEBSTER   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/downwithwebster

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DownWithWebsterVEVO

What should you check out for the week of February 2nd 2012?

Since our cover story this month is Down With Webster I thought it would be fitting to recommend everyone listens to their newest album “Time to Win Vol.2″.

Time to Win, Vol. 2 is an album by Canadian rap rock band Down with Webster. It was released digitally on October 31, 2011 while physical versions of the album were released on November 1, 2011. The album was released through Universal Music Canada.^[1] This is the band’s first major label full-length album. The album has peaked at #9 on the Canadian Albums Chart.^[2]

Time to Win, Vol. 2 was supposed to be the second of two seven-track mini-albums, following up to the bands debut mini-album, Time to Win, Vol. 1 which was released in 2009. It was initially supposed to be released in the Spring of 2010.^[3] Bucky explained in an interview that the original concept was to release Time to Win in two mini-LP volumes because the band wanted “to get as much music out there as we could constantly, instead of having to wait a whole two to three years before we put another one out.”^[4]

Cameron “Cam” Hunter explained in an interview in September, 2010 that Time to Win, Volume 2, “probably would have been out a lot sooner, but the first one did a lot better than we expected, and a lot of other people expected and as a result, it gets pushed back as we shoot more videos. As a result, the new one probably won’t be out until the New Year, but the original concept was they would be maybe six months apart, but things have taken a different turn.”^[4] The band later changed their mind and turned Time to Win, Vol. 2 into a full-length record. In an interview with Canada.com, Hunter said the record will “be a lot longer” and will have “12 or 13 songs” on it. The release was delayed until 2011 with the album looking to release in the “end of summer to early fall.”^[5]

Hunter also talked about some collaborations saying that the band “got to work with some different producers than we used on the first one. We got to work with some other key people, namely Boi-1da.” On working with Boi-1da, Hunter said “we got some wicked stuff out of him, considering he’s a straight-up hip-hop guy. The songs we made with him don’t sound like anything that he’s done. One of them is a track we’re going to try to put to rock, alternative-rock radio. The song is called ‘Professional’. I’m really pumped about that.”

Other producers on the album include Matthew Burnett, Zale Epstein, Stephen Kozmeniuk, Brett Ryan Kruger, Megaman and James Robertson. Robertson has also been a producer on the bands previous album, Time to Win, Vol. 1 and the bands 2007 self-titled self-released album. Far East Movement collaborated with Down with Webster in one song on the album.

Recording locations of the album include Chille Ville Studios in Toronto, Diamond Factory Studios in Toronto, The Garage^[1] and Rumblecone in Toronto while mixing locations include South Beach Studios in Miami, Rumblecone in Toronto, Chille Ville Studios in Toronto and Gimme More Music Studios in Toronto. The albums was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Tyler Armes told Regina Leader-Post how the band has been working on the record since December 2010 saying, “We’ve been in the studio pretty much since December of last year getting our new record done.” Armes also compared the writing to the band’s previous EP, Time to Win, Vol. 1 saying, “a lot of the songs that we wrote on the last EP, which came out in 2009, some of them were written as far back as 2006 and 2007. This record was primarily written in the last year or two, and it’s night and day listening to something we wrote in 2006 or 2007 versus 2010.”^[6]

The first single from the album, “She’s Dope” was released on May 23, 2011 through digital distribution. It debuted at No. 52 on the Canadian Hot 100 and has since peaked at No. 18.^[13]

“Big Wheels” will be released as the album’s second single. A music video for the song was filmed on August 14, 2011. “Big Wheels” was released to radio on September 9, 2011.^[1] On September 13, 2011 the song was released through digital distribution. The music video premier for “Big Wheels” was shown on September 19, 2011, on the MuchMusic show, New.Music.Live. The song has peaked at No. 51 on the Canadian Hot 100.^[14]

Royalty is the third single from the album. On January 8, 2012 a music video for the song was filmed and on January 10 the song was released to radio.

Review by Marie-Lou P

Boom. Boom. Boom.

As I was approaching the entrance of the festival, my heart was synchronizing to the sound emanating from the Quays.

With the bad weather all day long, alternating between rain, snow and freezing rain, we could almost rename the festival “Lakefest” instead of “Igloofest”. Enormous water holes and mud were therefore wetting my boots and, at the same time, my socks.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

For this House music evening, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxing, people were taking pictures with strangers and friends alike as well as eating free marshmallows together. “All right, new friends, let’s go!” was what I heard all around me. Unfortunately though, that night, Bench contest winner Brotsky and Maya Jane Coles sounded a bit the same.

At 10:30, a black-skinned man walked on stage, wearing aviator sunglasses and fluffy neon green Mohawk made of feathers; it was Green Velvet. If this festival would be inside a club, the floor would broken down due to the intensity of the jumping crowd.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Velvet threw a few of his classics such as Answering Machine, Shake and Pop and Flash.

The Igloofest team sent the following Tweet that night : [C’est pas un cocktail de précipitations qui va nous empêcher d’avoir du fun ce soir!] “It’s not a downpour that will prevent us from having fun tonight!”. And they were totally right.

February 3rd:

• Megadeth with Motorhead, Lacuna Coil and Volbeat at The Bell Centre

February 4th:

• Ian Kelly with Sarah Slean at Corona Theatre

February 5th:

• The Kills with Jeff the Brotherhood at Olympia
• This Will Destroy You with Amen Dunes at Casa Del Popolo

February 8th:

• Cody Simpson with Jessica Jarrell at Corona Theatre

February 9th:

• Adam Cohen with Rachel Yamagata at Club Soda

February 10th:

• Jim Cuddy with Doug Paisley at Theatre Maisonneuve
• Sam Roberts with Zeus at Metropolis
• Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires at Corona Theatre

February 11th:

• Hanson with Carly Rae Jepsen at Corona Theatre

February 13th:

• William Fitzsimmons with Denison Witmer at Sala Rossa
• Veronica Falls with Brilliant Colors at Le Belmont

February 15th:

• In Flames with Trivium, Veil of Maya and Kyng at Metropolis

February 17th:

• City and Colour with The Low Anthem at Metropolis

February 23rd:

• Simple Plan with Marianas Trench, All Time Low & These Kids Wear Crowns at The Bell Centre

February 24th:

• Mona at Club Lambi

February 26th:

• August Burns Red with Silverstein, Texas in July and at Metropolis

February 27th:

• Children of Bodom at Metropolis

Source: www.evenko.ca, www.meetyouattheshow.com, www.greenland.ca