byron. - sad campfire songs review

There's not a lot of distractions here. No overzealous overdubbing of every folk instrument imaginable. No house-party gang vocals. No handclaps. This is straight forward, simple, and raw. And it's perfect.
  
There's a lot of pain and hurt within these 10 songs, without ever coming off as whiny or pathetic. This is a kid pouring himself out and then letting you watch as he picks through the wreckage deciding what's worth keeping and where to move on. Byron's voice would probably frustrate my highschool music teacher, and he usually sticks to the same 3 or 4 chords, and yet if these songs were anymore intricate or refined I don't think they would hit me the same way. This is real.

If this is what folk-punk sounded like I wouldn't hate folk-punk.

By: ROB BANKS

you can download this record directly below this post!

byron. - "sad campfire songs" (2011) new full length! DOWNLOAD!

sad campfire songs. (2011)

1. goddamn guelph
2. don't trust the boss
3. untitled
4. here's to land
5. the ballad of marv
6. we gotta figure this shit out
7. vampires
8. breaks my heart
9. like a rabbit
10. whale song


click on the artwork to download!

I met byron many years ago. he was sitting on a bed in a tiny room in a little punk house in guelph, ontario. it was freezing outside & there was torn plastic on the windows. the house had no heat & he was in almost full winter get up.
I'm not sure if we became friends at first but he was always engaging & energetic, especially when he played music. a lot of the first songs I remember him playing were call & response folk tunes that it seemed everyone knew the words to but me.
probably five years later, he's been in & out of my life but is now a close friend.

from the insert...

"so, this is called sad campfire songs after something my brother said when I was playing him a couple of the songs on this album. he said they all sounded like sad campfire songs. I thought it was tragically beautiful and kept it.
shits been really fucking terrible for awhile and this is the release. I hope to play some of these songs only a little while longer and then hide them away. some of them are so loaded, they're tough to play. let me know what keeps you sane and in joy"

mistake makers - "my friends could beat up your friends (but they probably wouldn't" (2011) DOWNLOAD!

my friends could beat up your friends (but they probably wouldn't) (2011)

1. stabbings & champions
2. earl
3. no sleep till' thunder bay
4. up the fuck ups
5. my dead friends think you're a shitty comedian
6. we'll always have paris

click on the cute kitty to download & spread this record around if you like it!

mistake makers are a five piece pop punk band from halifax. this is their first record that they completed shortly before heading off on a two week tour earlier this year.
the songs are short, poppy, honest & deal with betrayal, addiction, heartbreak, n64, hurricanes, long drives, & friends.
their live shows usually involve broken gear, microphones to the face, bloody hands, irrelevant or awkward banter, out of tune guitars, & ridiculous dancing.
they're on hiatus right now as everyone in the band has other projects.

steve believe - guitar, vox, reverb, emo
ryley beggs - pickslides, guitar, punx
rosie toes - keys, vox, hippy
jawsh carson - bass, vox, joey
matt a - drums, puns, metal

APRIL 1ST - TOUR KICKOFF @ 5523 CORNWALLIS ST.

friday, april 1st, 2011
the rumble strips "punk as duck" tour kickoff
7:30 pm @ the orphanage, 5523 cornwallis street (the door with the shoes dangling in the window)
all ages! please respect the neighbours & the tiny apartment it's being held in.
donate your bread crumbs to the rumble strips who are quacking off, somewhere else...
no smoking inside & no drinking outside. don't be a tool.
the rumble strips are releasing their debut tape at this show entitled, "drunk driver please don't fall asleep", released in conjunction with 90's babies art collective. we'll probably have the digital version up for download in a few days as well!

THE RUMBLE STRIPS
BRAMBLE
CUD E.
ALEX GOYETCHE

yup! stoked.

18 x 18 x 2! on ckdu tonight!

hey punks.
our friends & fellow contributors to this blog, 18 x 18 x 2! are playing live tonight on CKDU.
they're super poppy, sloppy, fun & childish (in a good way) acoustic guitar based pop punk. in the vein of dead milkmen kinda.

they play @ 8pm live on 88.1 on CKDU in halifax.

you can stream it live online from this link...
http://www.ckdu.ca/stream_links.html

they're also playing with stagnant stars at their tour kickoff this saturday, so check this out, learn the words & tackle byron at the show.

call out for folks interested in organizing alternatives to pride

the poster says it all already.

MARCH 26TH - TOUR KICKOFF @ 5426 NORTH ST.

saturday, march 26th, 2011
tour kick off show
6:30 pm @ the purple house (5426 north, near the bridge)
all ages / everyone welcome unless you're a jerk / PWYC (pay what you can / pay when you can)

STAGNANT STARS
18 x 18 x 2
CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN
MEAN MUG
MAKE NO GAINS

this show is a tour kickoff for stagnant stars who are heading west on tour for two months.
donations are super important at this show.
recently while on tour with sibling band, mistake makers, the folk mooter, a big white 2003 ford windstar decided it needed a rest & broke down on the long drive between montreal & halifax.
the bill to repair the van is huge, especially considering how much any average punk in halifax has in their pockets, but any little bit you can donate at this show will help.
sometimes people don't realize how expensive it is to be in a touring band. please be generous at this show, & every diy show you go to. five bucks to see a band from out of town, or to send your friends off for a few months is not too much to ask if you can spare it. obviously we'd rather have you there than not, which is why this show is still PWYC.
I'll see you there, dancing & screaming, & maybe we can make a little dent in the receipt a couple poor punks just got stuck with.
tell every cool loser you know about this.

oh... & UP THE HFX FUCKING PUNX!

show photos by rosie toes & devon berquist - february 28th tour kickoff

this night was warm, sweaty, intimate & fun. rather than write a straight up review, we decided to pass around a notebook & pen all night & ask people to write what they were thinking, regardless if it was about the bands or not. most people wrote anonymously, so I'll just leave off all the names.

"I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS KITCHEN. IM STOKED TO SEE NEW FACES AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS"

"yall are beautiful & makin february so much more tolerable"

"much more than last year. I like seeing my kitchen filled with awesome people"

"Check it out. It's DIY HFX! The walls are sweating. my ears are bleeding. Heart Quenching - I love this shit"

"-KING-SHIT-"

"stoked to see everyone having such a good time, but scared and feeling alienated hiding behind addiction behind closed bathroom doors"

"it's like heavenly angles descending from wherever the fuck!"

"my only friend lives 2 hours away. tonight was the first time I've had a real smile on my face in really long time. thank you"

"Good samosas!"

"Never been to a punk house before. fun time. I'm glad I skipped class for this"

"It's awesome to see people all getting together at a show and hanging out. Especially in a small space where everyone can connect"

"I haven't smiled so much while dancing since I was 18…? So good."

"It's great to go to a show and be blown away by every band."

"tomorrow I will wake up and tonight will be nothing but a yesterday and a happy memory. thank you for making my memories to music"

"As the Snow turns to rain my bitterness turns to tears
even hipsters cry."

"We all had a smashing time"
LOVE
The Nymphets

"OKAY"

"I want to go home, regroup, start a band & play drums so fast & scream until I'm vomiting dryce & blood all over everything"

"THE HOUSE IS SO FULL OF PEOPLE… BEAUTY… NOISE. MY KNEES ARE WEAK AND MY HANDS ARE SHAKING AND I HAD TO GO LIE DOWN IN MY ROOM. NOW I HAVE TO GO TALK TO A GUY ABOUT MAKING ONE OF OUR WOMAN FRIENDS SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT SHE LEFT. AND I KNOW I CAN DO IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING SO HARD AT HERE. MAKING NEW WORLDS THAT MAYBE WE CAN LIVE IN. BUT I FEEL KIND OF ILL AND OVERWHELMED. IT WAS A GREAT SHOW. I THINK I WAS IN A REALLY SENSITIVE HEADSPACE. ALL THIS HEART, IT'S ALOT TO TAKE IN."

"tonight My best friend played some songs he wrote, and they gave me the same feeling I got when I first heard his angsty-teenage songs years ago. Goosebumps, Heart in my throat, Eyes welling up, Not alone. At this point in my life all I'm interested in are things that can bring back that feeling."

"These kids are so sweet & enthusiastic. We moshed in the kitchen together. I wish them safety and fun on the road.
I swear that I'll love you, the best way I know how." - <3

"I don't usually "do" punk shows but I had fun."

here's who played in order...

NOISE DEMO
18 x 18 x 2
THE NYMPHETS
MISTAKE MAKERS
STAGNANT STARS

photo credits go to rosie toes & devon jupiter. thanks to them for putting up with being elbowed in order to get these shots!
if you have any photos, videos or any thoughts on the show, email us at diyhalifax.gmail.com & we'll happily add it to this post.