Year End!

With 2009 coming to a close, and it being such an amazing year for me, I thought I should do a year end blog post. There has been many new opportunities that I faced this year, as well as many awesome shows and new music that have come out. With that, I shall recap some of these events I've been too and due my top 'whatever' lists.

Top 10 Upcoming Bands of 2009

Jets Overhead
Jets Overhead have been around since 2003, but have recently exploded on the scene with playing shows like Rifflandia. This band, from Victoria, BC, has opened for LIGHTS on her Canadian tour and they are opening for Tegan and Sara and AFI at AFI’s Victoria show today!

Them Crooked Vultures
All members of this band have been through and back the music scene many times. This super group, with a member from highly rated band, Led Zeppelin, have sprouted onto the scene in 2009, and are awaiting high anticipation for their studio release with all their teasers they have been releasing on Youtube, and playing live.

Dead Weather
Jack White’s new band has hit the music scene hard this year, in 2009. With their unique sound, and making an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show and fan’s loving their live shows, is why they made it on to this list.

Blame the Television
Blame the Television is a brand new band to come out of Winnipeg, Canada. With their unique pop-punk sound, they have been coming into the scene hard with playing a bunch of shows, and winning Supernova’s Battle of the Bands, you’ll be hearing more about this band in the future.

Eye Alaska
This highly rated band has exploded onto the scene, it seems. They toured with many great artists, such as Lydia, and are also on the PacSun tour. Fans love this band so much, that they voted them enough to get to be a main contestant to be apart of the Alternative Press Tour in 2010. Critics gave high ratings for this bands album, so obviously they are doing something right.

Four Year Strong
This pop-punk band has been around for a while, but recently has been making it bigger on the music scene. They’ve toured with bands, such as Cancer Bats, on the Taste of Chaos tour, and have opened for Alexisonfire on their UK tour. Their 90’s cover album, “Explains it All” peaked on the Billboard Top 200 charts at 115.

Matt and Kim
With hitting the music scene in 2006, with their first self-titled record, Matt and Kim have come a long way. With their most recent CD, Grand, they seem to become more popular and achieving the success they deserve. Their music video “Lesson Learned” can be called controversial; some fans applaud them for being different.

Rachael Cantu
Rachael Cantu has opened for many various popular music acts, such as Tegan and Sara, B.B. King, and The Get Up Kids. She’s released a few EP’s, and one full length which have been liked by critics, and she has released her recent full length which is out now. She has recorded a song with Tegan of Tegan and Sara, and has songs featured on Private Practice.

Ten Second Epic
They’ve been around since 2004, but really haven’t blown up until recently. Their most recent album “Hometown” reached number 16 on Canadian album charts and also features Canadian artist LIGHTS on the track “Everyday.”

Everlea
Everlea is a pop-rock band out of Kingston, Ontario. They’ve been voted best song, or best band many times in the indie scene, and their songs have topped college radio play lists many times. Though, they are unsigned currently, I think that will change soon.


Top 10 Album's of 2009

Lights- The Listening

Tegan and Sara- Sainthood

Alexisonfire- Old Crows, Young Cardinals

Paramore- Brand New Eyes

Silverstein- A Shipwreck in the Sand

Them Crooked Vultures- Them Crooked Vultures

Metric- Fantasies

Matt and Kim- Grand

Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz!

Tiesto- Kaleidoscope

There is no real reason as to why I choose these particular albums. There has been so many good albums released this year that it is actually really hard to choose. These albums are solid though, and it is why I choose them. Other solid albums are albums like AFI's new album, and Rakim's new album as well.

2009 has been a great year for shows as well, which shows like Warped Tour, Lights, AC/DC, Blink-182 and Keane, but I have not been to that many shows this year to make a top 'whatever' list. Next year, that may hopefully change! 2010 is looking to be a promising year, in which things will be even better for this blog.

With that, I shall close this post with my favourite photo I shot in 2009!

Thanks for reading,
Ryan Rose

Busking For Change Event

Busking for Change Vancouver: Check it out please!

Stereos Concert

December 9th was the night of The Envy, The Artist Life, The Midway State and Stereos show, and it was a pretty good show. At around 6:30, I arrived at the venue with a friend of mine. We head down to will call to pick up my media pass that the wonderful people at Underground Operations provided me with, and the two tickets that I won from Much Music. We get those, and go back in line. Doors opened, and then we went in and waited until the Envy came on stage, as they were the first band.

The Envy came on, and put on a good show. Though, they did remind me of Panic! At the Disco when they opened up for Blink-182, with the whole cross the fingers thing. The girls were crazy into them though! So crazy, that I got squished in the pit. Being small and having no photo pit was not to my advantage.

Next came The Artist Life, the band I was looking forward to the most as I heard a lot about them from fellow photographer friends, who are also friends with the band. The Artist Life put on a great set that was full of energy, and excitement. They were my favourite to shoot that night, and I can not wait till another show of theirs comes through soon!

The Midway State came up on stage after, and by then I got pushed completely out of the pit. No worries though, as I found another spot to shoot photos from that provided me with a better view! I was stoked on that finding. About 3 songs in, The Midway State invited Carly Rae Jepsen onto stage to sing along with the song she recorded with them. The best part about their set was when a chick through an empty beer can at another chick, and called her a skank. It was pretty hilarious actually!

After them, Stereos came on stage and put on a show! The girls(they were the majority tonight), were going right nuts! I only stayed for half of their set, as I wanted to get home before Midnight, but the half I did stay for was absolutely great even though it's not 100% of my kind of music. They are full of energy, and get right into it with the crowd and you could feel the energy pulse back and forth between the crowd and the band.

I recommend you check out all the bands by clicking these links:
The Envy
The Artist Life
Midway State
Stereos

Big thanks to Underground Operations for all the help they have gave me!

Check the photos out below!