Sylvie Hill

The Ottawa XPress – October 9, 2008 Different strokes Willis talkin’ about the new, cut Grass The members of East Coast band The Grass have more in common with their ’60s role models than the inventive musical style and eclectic fashions. Add low- or no-paying jobs, commune living and recreational drug use, followed by friction […]

The Ottawa XPress – August 14, 2008 THE O-TOWN HOEDOWN: Not Bad Country for Good Men and Women Like a rhinestone cowboy, local gem Greg Harris corrals a star-studded line up for fans and bands alike at the annual O-Town Hoedown Ask people what kind of music they like and what’s the standard reply? Anything […]

In the 2008 March issue of Guerilla Magazine, I team up with Up Front and Tokyo Sex Whale drummer, JP Sadek, to interview Andrew Tweedy from Buried Inside (Relapse Records). We’re looking at how this talented musician goes from creating the most aggressive hardcore music with a band to retreating to create Glass Fingers, a […]

The Ottawa XPress – February 7, 2008 Howe to make Maki roll Howe Gelb takes Kate Maki’s music to new heights If her stagger-to-the-saloon groove and parlour-blues tunes weren’t enough to grab your attention, Sudbury’s Kate Maki has enlisted the help of eccentric Arizona singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist Howe Gelb to produce her latest album, […]

The Ottawa XPress–January 24, 2008 This Is Your Dad’s Oldsmobile The Brothers Chaffey are brave old souls in a brave new world The Brothers Chaffey – Matthew (rhythm guitar) and Curtis (lead guitar) – play the sexiest country-soul music with a blues-rock swagger that one university rag called “your dad’s kinda music.” Rather than take […]

The Ottawa XPress– November 29, 2007 Jingle Sells: Jingles Are the Way for Toronto’s Major Maker Not all musicians lending their voice to television commercials sound as off-key as the Ontario Freshness Guy. There’s Feist for iPod. Bedouin Soundclash for Zellers. Ottawa’s Andrew Vincent for Old Navy. And now, with spots for Chevy, Telus and […]

The Ottawa XPress – September 27, 2007 The Watters Brothers Rise High When it comes to rock and roll, many bands play it but few can stage it. “Some guys may sound good, but do they look cool on stage?” asks Watters Brothers Rebellion frontman Muddy. “Do they stand still on stage? Do they look […]

The Ottawa XPress – September 6, 2007 The Bible All-Stars can go all night long “I challenge you to find a drummer who will go like that for an entire show,” says lead singer/guitarist Morgan Friend. He’s boasting of his bandmate’s (Tim Connolly) fiery and fervent drum frenzy for Ottawa’s high-octane, alt-country/punk band The Bible […]

The Ottawa XPress – August 16, 2007 High Times The Grass’s third album channels ’60s spirit If Value Village had a house band, The Grass would be it. The band’s third album, Report All Ghosts, is a throwback to the ’60s, which could surely score regular rotation on classic rock station CHEZ 106.1’s Psychedelic Rock […]

The Ottawa XPress – July 19, 2007 Tokyo Sex Whale: INSIDE THE MEATLOCKER “The only thing that will fuck us up is a bad sound guy,” blurts Tokyo Sex Whale drummer J-P Sadek, confidently attesting the explosive potency of his new band’s live act. Less than a year old and Ottawa’s stoner-rock trio is already […]