it's really nice to be friends

A big congratulations goes out to the boys of Still Life Still who are celebrating their debut album release this week, they along side boxes and bags, dinosaur bones and the paint movement all kept the crowd at the Horseshoe tavern last night bumping and grinding in the best way possible. Still Life ended their set with an encore of "You should have left me" which is one of my favorite songs, and who ever left early definitely missed out. I just listened through the album this morning and it sounds great, Aaron did a sweet job making the artwork as well. So if you have not had a chance to check out Still Life Still yet go out and pick up the album, it comes with lyrics which is always a nice bonus especially when they are as well written as these songs are.


photo by Stu St.Amant

Skull Cube Forever

Sometimes I get to work and log onto youtube, to find that Mike has uploaded a new video. I like these surprises I hope to be able to surprise him soon in such a manner.

records you should buy: Mama, I'm Swollen

Cursive is a band, that the empire loves, for every record they have put out, we have enjoyed thoroughly, and more often than not, more-so than the last. While this outfit from Omaha has been around for a long time, they have never really been larger than the small indie scene it feeds life into. This may be detremental to them, but for some reason I wouldn't have it any other way. I have only heard the two songs which are available for stream off the saddle-creek site, and I liked them very much, not a huge step away from cursive sounds, and its almost as if they went back to their roots with this one, and left Happy Hollow to waft in the direction they could have went, but I am glad they did not persue.

All I can say about this one, is that I am excited to hold the Vinul LP in my hands, but am sad that I have to wait until May for that.

The album is available for download through saddle creek, or purchase in CD format only at this point. Check out saddle-creek, they have many different ways to purchase this record, and each one has something special that makes it worth it. Support bands like these, and labels like saddle-creek.

cheers.

Lexington Live: Indie Love Radio @ 6:30

Local rock outfit Lexington, will be live on teh internetz tonight!!! They will be giving an interview and rocking out two songs acoustically, hit that banner up top to check em out, and if you like em even in the least, check out the live radio show at Indie Love Radio, Tonight Feb. 12 @ 6:30 our time.

100 shirt party vids!

and this is our 100th post!!

the following is a great little player of all the vids from the show. it will update when we update them.

h.e. is an Excellent Steel Horse

As you may or may not know, the empire recently created a visual accompaniment to the song "Excellent Steel Horse" by Toronto band Rock Plaza Central. That video has now been released online by spin.com! wonderful news for the empire and a great starting point for a great video. you can find the article here.

For those of you who are wondering if we are even a shirt company still... keep in mind that we have short attention spans and the sport of chinlone has landed in our hearts. Fear not, we still keep a large section of that organ for our shirts, and we are happy to announce a "100 shirt party!" stay tuned for more info, but expect bands, fun, shirts, and good times.

imagine a reality: the DD/MM/YYYY video

The boys in DD/M/YYYY stopped by the empire after a summer tour, with DVDs full of what went down. they planned out something spectacular, and Mike was able to create that with the hours of footage Kyle transfered from the DVD's. here are his efforts.

DD/MM/YYYY - Imagine

we just added all of the work we have done to date, to the youtube account

Born Ruffians @ Soundscapes : 1. hummingbird

filming by: Kyle McCreight, Mike Juneau, Adam Hindle, Tripod.
edited by: Mike Juneau

watch it in Quicktime!

the rest to come!

Dinosaur's on a Boat!

This is Dinosaur Bones' second show, at the boat, in Kensington Market.


Filmed and edited by Kyle McCreight, and Mike Juneau.

"newie"
"bombs"
"we use our hands"

the rest of the show to follow.

h.e. is digging Dinosaur Bones: a Review

Once in a while, you get the chance to experience a band's first show, you get to help pop their cherry. It's a great opportunity for one's self when a friend is part of the band that is experiencing their first show. At any given moment, that band can take you on a journey you were not expected to take. A journey normally a kin to seeing ones favourite all time band and knowing what songs to expect and what words to sing. Dinosaur Bones accomplished that feeling, and I have never heard more than a muffled practice noise out of them.

Saturday, January 19th, Sneaky Dee's errupted in applause, from a very filled crowd, the second Ben stepped to the mic exhaling "what's up, guys? we're Dinosaur Bones, here goes nothing" and there went something, thats for sure, what came out of those speakers after that phrase was something magical. It felt like the start of something. For the next 30 or so minutes, the room filled with attention directed completely towards what was goin on up there on that stage. The five wonderful Lads opened up with a floaty, melodical tune entitled "We use our Hands", setting the bar for an amazing set. Playing a total of 7 songs, that being every song they have written thus far, the crowd was not disappointed by any song, at moments of just the guitar, or just drums, moments when you could hear the crowd at any other show, brought on moments of pure and beautiful silence. It was the type of silence where no one wants to speak because that may cause them to miss something, something beautiful.

Running smoothly through 4 songs, they reached their 5th, "bombs", this song changed the pace of the set, bringing in some jazzier influences, and some shakers, it's clearly a song that I could see singing along to, with a crowd full of fans. The song that stuck out the most for me was the only song with no name, the one following bombs, it' the only one featuring a microKORG, this song had a hook on the keyboard that could cause one to activate repeat and never shut it off, a sort of anthem for the masses. Finishing off the set, was a song about vampires, enough said. All in all this is a band to see, if you like melodic guitar riffs, tambourines, microKORGS, running bass lines, flawless drumming, all tightened up in a nice ensemble, then its time for you to dig up some Dinosaur Bones.

I filmed the show, and all of the videos will be coming your way through the interweb very soon!! for now you get... Los Vampiros. Keep your ears to the ground, cause you'll hear from Dinosaur Bones soon, Im sure.

Dinosaur Bones' MySpace: myspace.com/dinosaurbonesband

Lox Vampiros Video: click to watch!


A sincere thanks to Dinosaur Bones for a great show, and for letting me film them.


<3 Kyle & The Empire

h.e. filmed straight goods

h.e. presents: Sushi!! at White Orchid. w/ Straight Goods.


it's simply the raw fisheye footage i shot, myself and mike will put his footage and this together, and also hopefully use a better audio.

cheers!