Isle of Thieves, WhosArmy at The Reverb
Toronto band Isle of Thieves got their break in January 2008, with George Stroumboulopoulos (of The Strombo Show) playing on national radio a track off their brand new, two-day old CD. Their debut album, Mostly Human is well produced, featuring angst-filled songwriting from frontman-vocalist Japeth, as well as some pretty incredible cover art, which is amongst the best I’ve seen for independent productions.
Celebrating their one-year anniversary on stage by returning to the very same venue of their July 2007 debut, Isle of Thieves featured their mix of strong, rhythmic rock, with thick and heavy riffs that add a gritty texture to the music. Japeth, also on lefty guitar, is flanked by ultra-showy lead guitarist Mike Marsh, and Justin Kwan on sound-filling synths and complementary vocals. Rounding out the band are Charles Canovas on bass and Matt Coatsworth on drums.
Most of their songs are fast and non-stop. Most catchy was show-ending Hollywood, with some fancy guitarwork from Marsh. For me, though, the real highlight of their show was when they “took it slow” with title track Only Human, when you can really listen to and appreciate Japeth’s bitterly meaningful lyrics and vocalizations.
Check out their MySpace.
Travis Wood fronts the band WhosArmy, an alternative-rock quartet from Toronto. They’re currently working on their first album. Check out the photos, and check out their MySpace.
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