OIFF Music Video Challenge Winners

Some big names in Ottawa's music scene achieved success last night at the Ottawa International Film Festival. Deservedly, Fevers, Flight Distance and Hilotrons all tied for first place in the Music Video Challenge at Babylon on the closing night of festivities. MC Devin Atherton hosted the event as it featured some of the finest artists in film and music that Ottawa has to offer. Fevers had their video for 'Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)' screened, which was directed, produced and edited by Shooter McNally. Flight Distance also used the night as a premier of their new video 'Blanket Party' off their sophomore album Bad Information released in 2011 and directed by Edward Fawcett. The Hilotrons (Kelp Records), who first released their self-titled album in 2003, received praise for their new video for 'Emergency' - a video which I have yet to find online, but will post as soon as it surfaces. Congratulations to all the participants, this years crop will leave us waiting in suspense for next year's OIFF Music Video Challenge.

The 2012 OIFF Music Video Challenge Lineup:

EYES ON YA STAR - ERUPT
EMERGENCY - HILOTRONS
MAKE BELIEVE - THE LOVE MACHINE
BLANKET PARTY - FLIGHT DISTANCE
POST-SECULAR - THEATERNIA
PASSION IS DEAD (LONG LIVE FASHION) - FEVERS
ON HOLD - DENE SWAN
I CAN - SOPHIA RADISCH
HOUSE OF COMMON PROBLEMS - SILKKEN LAUMANN
L.K.U.T. - ZOO LEGACY
ASIAN FETISHIST - SCARY BEAR SOUNDTRACK
THE PROPOSAL - PETER JOYNT

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Fevers - Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)

Credits:
Shooter McNally
Director + Producer + Editor

Robin Leveille
Director of Photography

Eric Harrison
Focus Puller

Val St-Arnaud
Camera Assistant

Mika Trottier
Production Coordinator

Download the single for FREE:
http://fevers.bandcamp.com | http://facebook.com/feversband

Flight Distance - Blanket Party

BUY IT NOW: http://flightdistance.bandcamp.com/track/blanket-party

Video credits:

Director: Edward Fawcett Sharpe
Producers: Edward Fawcett Sharpe, Joel Barnes, Steve Jones
Cinematographer: Joel Barnes
Editor: Edward Fawcett Sharpe
AD/Colouring Grading: Steve Jones

Music credits:

Performed and written by: Flight Distance (Bender, Patience, DJ Calkuta)
Produced by: Crack Moses
With co-production from: Kaem
Mixed by: James Hancock
From the acclaimed Flight Distance album, "Bad Information", 2011.

Looking back at June: Zoo Legacy & Silkken Laumann

Silkken Laumann (Photo: Ming Wu)

Ottawa musicians seem to be hard at work this summer (which begins in early May according to my internal life calendar). With Fevers releasing their debut music video for "Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)" a few months back, alt/hip hop trio Zoo Legacy just dropped  their first video for "L.K.U.T." off their upcoming album City Light Glow. The Acorn frontman Rolf Klausener's experimental side project Silkken Laumann also released a new video for the song "House of Common Problems", the second single from the forthcoming album Not Forever Enough. Both videos are strong precursors for their respective band's full-length release, giving us visual stimulation on great tracks while we wait. And both are dance-party worthy, so check out both new videos below and have a dance party.

'4in1' Ottawa Park Acoustic Sessions

Fevers @ Dundonald Park

What: Photogmusic Presents: '4in1' Ottawa Park Acoustic Sessions
Where: Dundonald Park, Centretown
Who:

- Avid Napper
- Scary Bear Soundtrack
- Jenna Tenn-Yuk
- Del Bel + Lisa Bozikovic Jessica Ruano
- Fevers
- Eriksen



Ok, so this whole thing is new to me. I've decided to snub the man and take on this project because I love music and want to write about it. As I walked to Dundonald Park in Centretown I realize that I am actually doing this. It's happening. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the May long weekend.

Needless to say, my mind was a little bit blown. All the performers had a unique story to tell and did a terrific job at doing so. Here's how it went down.

Avid Napper, Gloria of Scary Bear Soundtrack's side project, came up and played a couple Springsteen covers. This was a great start as I became slightly more familiar/comfortable with my surroundings, and because who honestly doesn't like the Boss?

Scary Bear Soundtrack then came up and played a few politically/socially charged tunes that piqued my interest. I had seen the new 'Asian Fetishist' video a few days before and I was thoroughly impressed with their adaptation in a live acoustic setting. Gloria has a simple but engaging voice, and the harmonies were sick.

Jenna Tenn-Yuk came up and began with her 'Jamasian' poem. Let me just pause here and say that the only exposure I'd had to spoken work was a few Leonard Cohen pieces, so I'm no expert. I am a sucker for stories though, whether in song, movie, or as it turns out, poetry. She blended some poems with songs, covering Austra and playing originals. I was impressed how seamlessly the poetry and song blended together, something I can say I had never experienced before.

Jessica Ruano gave me a second, more forceful dose of spoken word. She was the designated 'time killer' since Del Bel and Lisa Bozikovic had to run for sound check. Wow. Jessica touched on themes I think we all experience at different points in our lives - particularly powerlessness, but also strength to recover from our our times of weakness. She kicked ass.

My most anticipated act came up, Fevers. This electronic/pop group formed last year has really been making a name for themselves. They impressed me by playing perfect acoustic versions of non-acoustic songs, Passion is Dead & Radiohead's Idioteque. Previously, I was convinced that Idioteque was a non-coverable song as it is extremely experimental and unapologetically complex. I was dead wrong. Colin beautifully adapted Thom Yorke's mutant vocal powers into a version that was very accessible to anyone listening. Something that stood out to me during their set was that I never felt as though one vocalist was more dominant than the other. Colin and Sarah are a highly effective duo, similar to the dynamic of the band 'Of Monsters & Men'. I spoke to them briefly after the show and they were very down-to-earth and obviously enjoying every minute of their musical endeavours.

Eriksen rounded things off playing a set of originals. His songs provided a nice end to what was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

I look forward to seeing Fevers play @ Babylon this Friday the 25th, and hope to see the other performers around Ottawa in the future.

Check out photos of the event on Photogmusic's blog:

Photos of 4in1 Acoustic Sessions in a Park #2 [May 20, 2012]