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The Eardrums

Local boys The Eardrums are very proud to be from Winnipeg—and not Toronto.

The trio has been playing together since 2009 when it debuted with a self-recorded, self-released EP.

Most recently, the trio’s We’re Not From Toronto EP has made them an even more prominent name in the local music scene—for the group’s talent and its decision to tell it how it is about Canada’s own “centre of the universe.”

“We’re just stirring the pot; taking the piss, as the Brits would say,” explains bass player Grant Partridge. “Toronto gets all the love ... that ain’t right.”

While the band is expressing what so many others are often thinking, The Eardrums (which also includes brother Tim Partridge and James MacLean) aren’t just focused on avoiding that certain type of stereotype; it’s about the music.

Specifically, taking a slightly untypical approach when it comes to creating their sound.

“Since the band formed, we’ve all taken turns singing lead vocals. The natural next step was to see what happened when we all sang at the same time,” Partridge says. “It was less a matter of ‘Oh, so-and-so have great harmonies, so we should try it’ and more like an experiment that happened to fortunately succeed.”

Check out all The Eardrums have to offer on Monday, Oct. 3 at the Park Theatre. For just $10, see them alongside locals bands Wool on Wolves and Twist Cone starting at 8 p.m. Visit www.theeardrums.ca.

– Pamela Roz

UNDEROATH

Underoath drummer Daniel Davison says the band’s current tour, which stops at the Garrick Centre on Monday, Oct. 3, is a reunion of sorts.

The other bands on the bill are Comeback Kid, The Chariot and This Is Hell. Davison has known CBK’s Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy Hiebert since the early 2000s, and he used to play in metalcore band Norma Jean with Chariot lead singer Josh Scogin.

Davison was even The Chariot’s manager for a few years.

“Josh and I were playing music together when I was probably 12 or 13,” Davison, 28, says by phone after a soundcheck in San Diego. “It’s been super fun just hanging out with those dudes every day. It’s really good to be around old friends.”

Davison joined Underoath after the departure of founding member, drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie in April 2010.

The band quickly wrote and recorded the band’s seventh album, Ø (Disambiguation).

“Aaron was kind of going in a different direction than the rest of the band,” Davison says. “When I came on board, me and the guys had similar ideas as far as (the) direction in music we wanted to create and be a part of.”

Released in November 2010, Ø (Disambiguation) is Underoath’s heaviest and most punishing record to date.

“We all seemed pretty like-minded with ideas that came forward,” Davison says. “The end result is just really heavy music, but not necessarily just straight up hardcore or metal. It’s music that’s heavy but has different dynamics and a lot of melody, but not poppy or cheesy. Pretty dark overall.”

Tickets for the Oct. 3 show are $31.75 at Ticketmaster and Music Trader. Visit www.underoath777.com.

– Aaron Epp

THE PERMS

Similar to the old-school hairstyle, local band The Perms are everlasting with just a few touch-ups along the way.

Having released their first album, Tight Perm, as teens 13 years ago, The Perms have all found their solid place in the band now.

Shane Smith (bass, vocals), Chad Smith (guitar, vocals) and John Huver (drums) are all co-collaborators in the songwriting process.

Coming up on the release of its fifth album, Sofia Nights, the band will admit its sound has stayed in the power-pop genre for the most part. With some tight melodies and harmonies on Sofia Nights, the trio tried to mix things up a bit.

“We tried to experiment a little bit more with different beat patterns and instrumentation. We wanted to try to jump out of our comfort zone,” Shane Smith explains. “I have always dreamed of releasing a rap record. Tribe Called Quest meets Cypress Hill.”

While the latter half of Smith’s idea would be a step in an entirely different musical direction, the band also have big plans for where to take the new album in terms of touring.

“We are planning a West Coast tour in October. May 2012 will see us returning to Germany to support the new record and September 2012 we will be heading to the Maritimes for a week of shows,” he says.

Sofia Nights is currently available through all digital retailers. The CD release show is going down at the Park Theatre on Oct. 14 where local artist Scott Hinkson will get the crowd warmed up at 8 p.m. and The Perms will take the stage at 9 p.m.

Visit www.thepermsmusic.com.

– Pamela Roz

Published in Volume 66, Number 5 of The Uniter (September 29, 2011)

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