2009: The Local(ish) Rock Star Elite

Just over a year ago, I posted a cheesy US Magazine-styled list of the ten biggest rock stars in the city, and (relatively) surrounding area. It wasn't meant to be taken too seriously, since such a list would mean that I was excluding hundreds of other worthy contenders, since our city and (relatively) surrounding area is teeming with them. It was also kind of a spur of the moment thing that was initially intended to be sort of a one-off thing. But I've come to realize that people (especially rock stars) love to see themselves on lists. So I figured that I would do it again. Firstly though, a few explanations:

Although there are a few on last year's list that could have easily made the list again this year (Carleigh and Rajiv come to mind immediately), I figured that for the sake of variety I would do up these lists sort of 'Hall of Fame' style, which means that once you're in, you're in. Secondly, there is no scientifical explanation for anyone's inclusion other than you're the first ones that came to mind. I figured that with all of the local shows I attend, if you came to my head that quickly then you must've had an impact. And thirdly, just to keep things in perspective, these are all just the opinions of one man, that man being me. The Jennifer Polk's, Melody Lamb's and Lauren Schreiber's in the city see way more local talent than I do, and would likely be more qualified to make such a list but whatever. I'm having fun. So, without further ado, here's my list of the top ten local(ish) rock stars of the past year.

1. Branko Scekic

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario (well, initially Serbia but...)
Bands: Dinosaur Bones; Serb Superb
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Although my personal enthusiasm for Dinosaur Bones is a tad more reserved than many, I know a rock star when I see one, and brotha! Branko oozes rock star. He's like the bizarre alien spawn of Frank Zappa and Flavor Flav. Whether he's blasting bass with the Bones, spitting improvised rhymes as the animated Serb Superb, or simply bounding around the audience at someone else's show, he definitely makes his presence known and I have a feeling that every band secretly wishes he was in there's as well.

2. Cameron Jingles

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: The Disraelis
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Some people are cool without even trying, and if you've ever caught a live show by The Disraelis, than you already know that Jingles (or Ingles depending on which source you read) isn't even interested in trying. He's our city's Lou Reed, and his rebel without a cause demeanor should be off-putting, but for whatever reason, it isn't. More like compelling.

3. Elise LeGrow

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: Whale Tooth; Elise LeGrow
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
She's a firecracker of energy when she performs, and the fact that she can keep that flawless voice of hers in tact while bounding around that stage with an almost unnatural animation, is what makes her the rare case of being a jazz singer that still rocks.

4. Jason Loftman

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Paint Movement
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
The Paint Movement is the type of band that works so well together as a team, that standing out in such a group is no small feat. But the moment in every show when Loftman wails a solo on that sax is consistently the evening's highlight as he solidifies the fact that this band is doing something that I'm hearing no other band do right now, local or otherwise.

5. Jacquie Neville

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario (now relocated to Toronto)
Bands: The Balconies; Jetplanes of Abraham (formerly)
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
Jacquie has a unique ability to completely own the stage with phenomenal poise and confidence while making sure that this self assured-ness never delves into arrogance and loss of control. I've seen performers on TV with twice the experience she has lose control of their vocals while getting drunk on their own inflated ego. Despite the amount of devotion that is thrown her way during a performance, Neville manages to avoid all of that while still having the audience eating out of her rock 'n roll hands.

6. Lee Brochu

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Hoa Hoa's
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
The rock star that plays the part 24/7 usually ends up burning out and/or fading away at the height of his/her success. The rock star with longevity however, lives more of a superhero lifestyle by being a mild mannered citizen by day, and a melt your face off rocker by night. This is what will likely allow supply teacher Mr. Brochu to fall into the latter category as the respected day job is undoubtedly what frees him up to whip a crowd into that psychedelic haze that he does at every show.

7. Paul Banwatt

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: Rural Alberta Advantage; Woodhands, We're Scared
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
It has been consistently noted that the drummer is the backbone of the band. In other words, a bad band can have a great drummer and actually sound pretty good. In the case of the bands that Banwatt plays in, a great drummer can make an already great band sound absolutely earth shattering. Banwatt is currently my favourite drummer in the city (next to last year's #1 rock star on my list) and his ability to take a simple pop song and turn it into something epic (i.e. Don't Haunt This Place) is a rock 'n roll move that cannot be overstated.

8. Matt Bahen

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Schomberg Fair
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
This speed gospel renegade preaches with an electrified ukulele in hand and manages to convert every crowd member to his lyrical cowpunk methodology. The man is the most down-to-earth type of gentleman you'll ever meet offstage, but onstage, the dude is downright exhausting and with new opening slots for Ron Sexsmith and The Sadies on the horizon, I'm pretty sure that you'll be seeing his name on a few more lists by this time next year.

9. Yann Godbout

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Bands: Half Baked; The Sound of Sea Animals
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
It may be a risky move to include a guy whom I've only ever seen once, but the impression he made was very strong and according to some other reviews that I've seen, that one show was not a case of him simply having a particularly good night. The man pulls out every cheesy rock 'n roll cliché the book contains, from swirling windmills to down-on-your-knees Hendrix-isms to run-through-the-audience-like-a-madman jocularity. When it comes to rock 'n roll, originality may be an asset, but sometimes a tried and true cliché is just as much fun.

10. Brad Weber

Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario
Bands: Pick A Piper; Caribou.
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
Being a rock star is undoubtedly a lot of work, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who works harder on stage than Brad Weber. As soon as he hits the stage, he exudes a hypnotic mystique that cannot be forced nor faked and the second he joins his bandmates in that tribal percussive assault that PaP have been garnering great recognition for, you cannot help but forget about the cares of the day and succumb to his mysterious charm.

Last Year's Ten:
1. Robbie Butcher (Tin Bangs; Nights)
2. Jamie Greer (Golden Hands Before God)
3. Carleigh Aikins (Fox Jaws)
4. Dorian Wolf (Spiral Beach)
5. Patrick Krief (Black Diamond Bay; The Dears)
6. Wayne Petti (Cuff The Duke; Wayne Petti)
7. Rajiv Thavanathan (Oh No Forest Fires; Five Blank Pages)
8. Johnny Maldorer (Les Breastfeeders)
9. Sarah Smith (The Joys)
10. Lonely Vagabond (Maestro of Myspace)

"I Could Play The Wild Mutation As A Rock 'N Roll Star"

When Bowie sang that line on his 1972 album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, he was echoing the fantasy of many a teenage boy or girl. The children wanted to grow up to be garbagemen or astronauts or superheros, but at a certain age that changed and most teens would have given anything to make that wild mutation as a rock 'n roll star. However, only a precious few ever get to live out that dream. While Bono, and Sting and Chris Martin are doing so on a large scale worldwide level, every scenester knows that in every hometown, there are many rock stars to be found. Or at least people who pretend to be such.

Living in Toronto, there is an overabundance of local rock 'n roll heroes, and I've taken the time to compile a top 10 list of the ones that most convincingly play the part. What makes these individuals who are relatively unknown outside of the Toronto, Montreal area such an example of R&R swagger? I don't know, all I can say is that if you've ever seen them live, it is downright impossible to take your eyes off of them. For the most part:

1. Robbie Butcher

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: Tin Bangs, Nights (formerly Seedy Ease)
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
His ability to transform the drums into his own personal stage. He wears bright pink pants and makes it look cool. He'll mug for every single camera that's pointed his way. He sits in the background but still becomes the star of every show. What places him at number one on this list is his basic refusal to be Ringo.

2. Jamie Greer

Hometown: Montreal (via Windsor)
Band: The Golden Hands Before God...
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Jamie struts around the stage with the confidence of a local Jagger, while his tambourine acts as an extension of his (usually shirtless) body. The one time that I've seen him so far (there will be more though, trust me) he actually broke the tambourine in half! Now that's rock 'n roll!

3. Carleigh Aikins

Hometown: Barrie, Ontario
Band: Fox Jaws
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
She's cute as a button but her whiskey stained vocal chords demand attention. She's the rock 'n roll version of Cadet Laverne Hooks from the Police Academy movies. She seems all sweet and innocent but don't you dare tick her off because that vocal rasp is sure to put you in your place.

4. Dorian Wolf

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: Spiral Beach
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
I think that most people would choose Airick or Maddie, but I think that bass playing Dorian is the real rock star in this band. He oozes a playful confidence that causes him to come off as a rockabilly rebel transported from the 50's to challenge you to a street race that you stand no chance of winning. (Has my commentary reached an appropriate level of US magazine styled cheese yet? Bear with me, I'll get there.)

5. Patrick Krief

Hometown: Montreal, Ontario
Bands: Black Diamond Bay and formerly The Dears
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
He's the Hendrix of local(ish) indie rock. The man plays guitar like a magician and when he struts through the audience wailing away on that Strat, you're completely at his mercy.

6. Wayne Petti

Hometown: Oshawa, Ontario
Bands: Cuff The Duke as well as solo material
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
The man presents a genuineness that is impossible to fake. He's the boy next door and probably the reason that many young girls have been spotted wearing those "Talk Nerdy To Me" t-shirts.

7. Rajiv Thavanathan

Hometown: Toronto via Newfoundland
Bands: Oh No Forest Fires, Five Blank Pages
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
The fact that he's nothing but a big ol' hairy blur whenever he's on stage. He's the Sonic the Hedgehog of live music. He can't sit still. Just try to take a picture of him, go on try it! His boundless energy is contagious and although he's in serious danger of owing a new mic stand to every venue in the city, he shows no signs of slowing down.

8. Johnny Maldoror

Hometown: Montreal, Ontario
Band: Les Breastfeeders
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
The fact that he's as entertaining as he is disconcerting. You're never sure if what he is doing is schtick or real. You don't know if the furry boa is a prop or part of his actual wardrobe. He's the tambourine player with mystique and that, my friends, is very rock 'n roll.

9. Sarah Smith

Hometown: London, Ontario
Band: The Joys
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
Sarah makes every single person in the audience feel as if they're also a member of the band. In a room full of a hundred people, she has the ability to make you feel as if she's singing to you personally. Regardless of what may be going on in her personal life, she exudes a joyfulness that translates to the entire room, and all the while rocking it old school.

10. Lonely Vagabond

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: In a way, all of them
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Only a precious few know who this person is but he shows up at every indie show in the city. He leaves very articulate and positive comments on the bands myspace page, yet most of these bands don't even know who he is. If you try to look for a picture of him, all you'll find are pics of James Dean, Elvis and Morrissey. There are times where it seems as if he's been attending two shows at once. Heck, even I have been approached by people wondering if him and I are one and the same. He's Toronto's version of ? and the Mysterians, yet his support for the local music scene is highly admirable.

And therein lies my personal list of the greatest rock stars you've never heard of unless you live in the general vicinity of my area. And these ten are just the tip of the iceberg. There's also Jonathan Chandler, Rob Szabo, Steve Strongman, Cameron Jingles, Basia Lyjak, Jason Wells, Rick White, Chris Murphy, Kevin Drew, Rooster Alcock, Dan Werb, Laura Barrett, Danielle Duval, Ruhee Dewji and on and on and on. As far as I'm concerned, the world can have its Bonos and its Stings . If rock 'n roll is this active here in Toronto, Montreal and the surrounding area, than I'd imagine that it's equally as active in whatever hometown you hail from. Do yourself a favour, if you're not already doing so, hunt down some of the rock stars in your own area and prepare to be amazed.