Steve Reble was my gateway drug into Halifax music and the community that makes it. A tall, gangly, smiley white guy with a degree in philosophy, I remember wondering when I first met him (when we started our MBAs) whether we might occupy too much of the same personality space for us to become really good friends. We don’t. He remains one of my best sounding boards, friends and inspirations. I am so excited for him and each of the members of Caledonia (Steve Gates, Zac Crouse, Ian Bent and Kris Pope), all of whom are dear friends, as they introduce their latest album.
Genuine. All with degrees (some with masters), for the last 6 years they have banked on their talent and on each other. Their new album is incredible: WE ARE AMERICA (i.e. perhaps we cannot blame everything on dub-ya). You can sense that these are open-minded, reflective people that you want in your life and I intend to use this post as evidence in the coming months that I indeed did know them when.
The album is released in Halifax this Friday the 29th of May, 2009 at The Paragon (previously known as The Marquee).
WONDERFUL UPDATE: The below video has been nominated for Video of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA)! Incredible. Shot on-route with total production costs of NIL. You can vote for them here: http://public.bellaliant.net/fanchoice/
UPDATE: Filmed on June 18th, 2009 on route from Montreal to Toronto. Cruisin down the 401, about a quarter into their CD Release tour for ‘We Are America’ an impromptu video was made in ‘Van Morrison’ for the ‘the Plague’. Steve is driving the band to NXNE in Toronto. Please pay special attention to Ian’s muppet-like expressions.
Steve’s email to me is below:
Hey Guys,
Just wanted to let you all know about the June 2nd TOUR & release of our new album “WE ARE AMERICA”. It’s a culmination of 6 years of effort on the part of my band mates and friends Steve Gates, Zac Crouse, Ian Bent and more recently Kris Pope.
It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in an album. 14 tracks that make me want to sing along, rock out with a thin mustache & skinny jeans, relax and listen, get politically active and love more. Cheesey sentiment? Maybe. But as good old Cj Reble says, “it’s not cheesey if you feel it”.
Below are some links. If you like what you hear, please pass this along.
PURCHASE CDS & TOUR DATES: www.caledoniatheband.ca
LISTEN TO TUNES: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caledonia/9893486605?ref=ts
RECENT REVIEWS:
Globe & Mail:
Online reviews:
http://captainsdead.com/caledonia-we-are-america.html
http://www.herohill.com/2009/05/reviews-caledonia-we-are-america.htm
and mp3 blogs:
http://www.altpress.com/features/thisup3.htm
http://mobile.indiemusicfilter.com/?p=262
http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2009/04/daily_downloads_1903.html
http://slowcoustic.com/2009/04/25/a-trip-through-the-slowcoustic-inbox/
http://www.herohill.com/2009/05/video-hits-josh-martinez-caledonia-k-os.htm
