Craig Cardiff - cafe performance April 1st

by Michael Donley

We are fortunate to have Craig Cardiff performing on Friday, April 1st for a exclusive ticketed show at the Cafe.
Noted as one of Canada's most impressive musical workhorses, Craig Cardiff has fervently released eleven albums in the past ten years, democratizing the very process of music making each step of the way. Hailed as the Che or Kerouac of indie music, Craig is a pioneer in alternate venue touring, often appearing in churches, basements, festivals, kitchens and even the street. His outstanding 11th CD release ‘Goodnight (GoHome)' reminds us that often the very best in art and culture can be found well outside the glass walls of the highly corporatized entertainment industry.

Cardiff's voice has been described as 'warm, scratched, sad and sleepy' and his songs are landscapes that expose the human condition, putting magnifying glasses to the clumsier and less proud moments. Armed with sardonic sincerity and polished awkwardness, Cardiff's performances are a mix of story and song, and occasional brawls.
"I think that the best shows are the ones where the lights are low, the music weaves in and out and the people forget where the audience begins and the performer ends," says Cardiff. Cardiff's commitment to his music is mirrored in his approach to touring and recording during the past ten years. Live recordings and self-produced albums range from sound experimentation to collaborations comprise his 14 albums, available on itunes, CDBABY, and as part of the MapleMusic/WordOfMouth Music Catalogue. Craig has played with and opened for some of the best artists around, including Glen Phillips, Lucy Kaplansky, Dan Bern, Natalia Zukerman, Andy Stochansky, Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Downie (Tragically Hip), Hawksley Workman, Sarah Slean, Skydiggers, 54-40 and more. Catch Craig out on the road in the winter/spring of 2011 in the US and Canada.

This show will not be streamed so support Craig and watch in person at the Cafe. Get your advance tickets @ http://www.agentless.ca/craigcardiff or at Streaming Cafe.

Australian Making Music In Canada

by Malcolm Petch


He sounds somewhat like a young Bill Bourne. Yet Dominique Fraissard started out life in Australia, half a world away from Bourne’s rural Alberta roots.

Who else pokes their head out in the back of your mind when you listen to Dominique? Perhaps Cat Stevens. The earnestness and tonal range of both Fraissard’s voice and songwriting carries a sort of built-in connection to folk greats of the present and past.

And he’s been going at it professionally for quite a while, now. Fraissard got his start gigging in Sydney in 1998, and has released one live and five studio albums between then and now. His latest offering is Art of a Common Kind, which his current tour is in support of. Dominique moved to Canada two years ago, and lives in the North Slocan Valley in South-Eastern BC.

Fraissard describes his music as being “in the folk/acoustic genre with a very original twist of urban transfer” (according to his Sonicbids site). His album output, six albums in 13 years, is definitely worthy of note – this guy is serious about writing, recording, and performing his music. It’s easy to see why his music has found favour with indie film directors and both college and commercial radio. He even has some music on the Qantas In-flight system.

Dominique has recently been nominated for three 2011 BC Interior Music Awards including: Folk/Traditional Recording of the Year, Producer of the Year and Astral Radio Peoples Choice Award.  If you'd like to show your support vote for Dominique @ http://bcima.org/index.php/pca.

Dominique Fraissard will be playing at Streaming Café on Saturday, April 2nd @ 7PM Pacific. Come on out and enjoy this transplanted Aussie who now calls BC home.

click here for more details

Cafe Chalk Art Masterpieces

by Michael Donley

Over the last few months Brad and Vicky at the cafe have of been creating chalk art for our upcoming performances. The Greg Sczebel Christmas show chalk created some buzz on local radio, where the announcer noted how "life like" Greg`s tie was... nice work guys!

Although you may not hang a sandwich board over your mantle piece, I didn`t want these chalk masterpieces to be wiped away forever. So here they are for your viewing pleasure.

The Archive - Largest Record Collection in the World

by Michael Donley


There's something about holding a vinyl record in your hands.  For me I think it's holding a little bit of history that can't get erased when your hard drive fails.  On that note I came across this really cool short "The Archive" worth a look at.  It talks about Paul Mawhinney who over the years has amassed what has become the world's largest record collection.   Due to health issues and a struggling record industry Paul is being forced to sell his collection.

This Sundance documentary short was made by filmmaker Sean Dunne.


The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

Streaming Cafe's new website!!!

After months of work we are very very excited to have launched Streaming Cafe's new website!
The site focuses on upcoming streamed performances and gives you the option of watching highlights from our past shows, and diving in a bit deeper to read about the performing artists.

There is no longer membership sign up required, so everyone has free access to all the site has to offer. Our live chat also requires no membership so tune into our shows and join in the conversation without any roadblocks!

You can also find lots of information about the cafe and all we offer in food and festivities.

We are still updating and adding content, so keep coming back and check out what's new.
Give us feedback! Let us know what you think of the site and how we can make it better (leave us a comment)!

Web-traveling the North Scene : Little City

Michael Donley


I thought from time to time I would blog about some bands that I've come across in my web-travels that aren't booked or haven't performed at Streaming Cafe but stood out to me as something cool and different (and I just had to tell someone!) The Toronto based six piece folk rock band Little City is exactly that.

Little City have just released their first EP The Going and the Gone and worked with renowned Canadian producer/engineer Laurence Currie (Sloan, Hey Rosetta!, Holy Fuck). It really is a good album and worth checking out.

Thom Macfarlane’s powerful, restrained percussion grounds Dave Clarke’s uplifting bass and provides the perfect foundation forTrevor Kai’s virtuosity on the keys (and accordion!) as he adds effortless elements of both exuberance and solemnity. The same can be said for brothers Jordan and Shaun Axani’s intricate, guiding guitar melodies, and of course Frances Miller’s arresting roots-tinged vocals, as her distinct whisper-turned-wail dynamics and warmth anchor the songs’ vast sound scope.

They just recently performed two showcases at Canadian Music Week as part of the FACTOR Break through serious.

"Groove Lounge" DJ at the Streaming Cafe

Put some groove to the end of your week! Come down to the Streaming Cafe and relax with the "Groove Lounge". Local up and coming DJ's spin songs you won't hear on the local radio...ever.  
Every second and fourth Friday from 5 to 9pm. So come down have a drink and chill!


This month March 11th and 25th.

Huge show announcement - William Fitzsimmons at Streaming Cafe!

by Michael Donley


Streaming Cafe is very happy to announce that William Fitzsimmons will be performing a solo show at the cafe on Saturday, May 14th.
Tickets go on-sale this Wednesday, March 9th for only $20,  available at Streaming Cafe (596 Leon ave). William`s website has sold some exclusive pre-sales so with only a few left for purchase at Streaming Cafe they are going to go fast. If you want to be one of only 40 people to watch this show in person, you better get down to the Cafe early!

If you miss out on tickets don`t worry, this show will be streamed live online at 7pm Pacific Standard Time and you can send in questions and comments to William while he performs.  Watch William`s performance FREE @ http://www.streamingcafe.net/

Nettwerk Records’ recording artist, William Fitzsimmons, will embark on a major US and Canadian spring tour in support of his new album, Gold In The Shadow (release date: March 22). The two-month North American tour will be a special occasion for Fitzsimmons’ fans.

`Gold In The Shadow` (available March 22)

William Fitzsimmons is equal parts songwriter and psychotherapist, creating captivating music, which uniquely melds depravity, honesty, and autobiography into a counter-intuitive seamless whole. Since 2005, Fitzsimmons has created three full-length albums, each thoroughly themed and embossed with matters of family history, intimate disclosure, and bold confession, yielding rich folk music, ranging from the stark and acoustic to the voluminous and electronic. All the while reflecting William’s commitment to addressing what is always pressing, and yet all too often ignored.
Read more about William Fitzsimmons on his sites!
http://www.williamfitzsimmons.com
www.facebook.com/williamfitzsimmons
www.twitter.com/wfitzsimmons

William Fitzsimmons new video The Tide Pulls from the Moon

Daniel Benjamin forced to cancel - US Visa revoked!

by Michael Donley
We were very disappointed to hear that Daniel Benjamin was forced to cancel his entire tour after his visa was revoked to the US.  Even though Daniel was chosen by the German government to represent at Canadian Music Week and South By Southwest in Austin, Texas.
As Daniel stated in this video " the biggest bummer is not that we can't see America, the biggest bummer is that America can't see us"!
It is truly a let down not to host Daniel on April 2nd for what I know was going to be a really cool and different show. I hope something can work out down the road to have Daniel back.

Daniel has posted a video to explain "The worst day of our lives".

Tip of the week - Pay with a Tweet

by Nico Boesten
Alrighty,
I wanted to pass on a new service that seems to be picking up a bunch of steam in the indie music world. Maybe because it's free and it's a nifty little way that artists can give away their tracks for free in exchange for a mention on Twitter and Facebook.
Seems to be that most artists understand that lots of people like getting music for free and if you're desperate enough (along with having a few computer geek skills) you can get pretty much anything for free so why not just give it away?

Trent Reznor has some interesting views on this whole topic but here's a great little service that thousands of artists are using called Pay With a Tweet.

This is a rad little service that allows you to offer a free download of some sort (this could be a single MP3, Zip file of a whole album, a video of you jumping 361 feet on a snowmobile…whatever you want) in exchange for this super fan simply making a post on Facebook or Twitter about you. The coolest thing about this is that you can even pre-fill in the text you want them to say (Eg. “Holy flying monkeys, I just got a free tune, this is the best day of my life"). Simple and free.

Here's how some friends of ours at Roadmap Music are using it with their new song they just wrote for Prince William and Kate. They posted a video of it and then are offering the song for free using Pay With a Tweet. Watch the video below and then feel free to get the song for free using this fancy shmancy little button. If you like how it works, you can do the same with some of your own tunes here.

Old Mare

by Malcolm Petch
Old Mare is the latest project/identity of prolific Abbotsford-based songwriter Chris Janzen. Having embraced many different genres and styles over the years, in this latest rendition Janzen hits the airwaves as an Alt. Country artist – or the Internet equivalent of airwaves, anyway (onlinewaves? digiwaves? webwaves?).

The words “old mare” conjur up images of a horse well past its prime. In a world where young and energetic is everything, an old mare would seem to be something good only to cast off – but in a world that knows horses, an old mare can be seen as a comfortable ride and a reliable friend.

I have no idea why Janzen has embraced the title “Old Mare” – but in checking out Old Mare’s music, I’d say the ‘comfortable ride’ imagery fits. The band has a couple of acoustic videos online, and each of the tunes I’ve heard so far is accessible and enjoyable right from the get-go.

Check out Old Mare at the Streaming Café on March 12 at 7PM Pacific time; and as always, if you can’t be there in person, you can always watch and comment (and ask questions of the artist) online. Asking why the band is called Old Mare could be a good place to start.

up and coming in march

   by Michael Donley
March is set to be another great month of independent music at Streaming Cafe. Here's a quick overview of what's up and coming this month. If you can't make it out to the cafe to watch these shows in person be sure to watch online. All the performances are streamed live at 7pm (pacific standard time) @ http://www.streamingcafe.net/. 


March 3 - Treelines hit the road for their “Lessons in Geography” tour, performing a rare acoustic show at the cafe, this Thursday, March 3rd. They are joined by Newfoundland’s The Mountains and The Trees (aka Jon Janes) for what Jon describes as Folk-N-Roll, backing himself with looping-pedals, some deft footwork and a little luck!
Treelines "Young Man" - Streaming Cafe


Goodbye Little Town - The Mountains and The Trees



March 5 - Newly relocated to TO from Vancouver JJ Shiplett performs his folk rock tunes on the 5th and debuts some new material that will be on his next album.
I'll Find My Way Home - JJ Shiplett



March 12 - Old Mare is one of abbotsford B.C.'s treasures, Chris Janzen lead singer of the band has crafted timeless Alt.country tunes. Story songs that take you to another place and time.
Early Morning Disaster by Old Mare


March 19 -  Up and coming singer/songwriter, Raquel Warchol has been traveling back and forth to Nashville writing music with successful songwriters such as country star Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
Raquel Warchol


March 26 - The Geese (formerly The Family Band) make their second appearance at the cafe having released a live album and an EP since that time. This indie-folk band The Geese are a collection of talented songwriters and instrumentalists intent on making the best of each other's songs.
The Geese "Reaching Through Human Being" -  Streaming Cafe

April 2 -  Looking a bit ahead Daniel Benjamin performs at the cafe early next month. Without having heard a single tone of their new record the German government has picked Daniel Benjamin and his fellow players from thousands of other bands to represent Germany at USA´s SXSW and the Canadian Music Week in March 2011.
Oh Oh Reputation - Daniel Benjamin

Germany's Daniel Benjamin

   by Malcolm Petch
If you Google “Daniel Benjamin”, the first hit is going to be for the American Ambassador-at-large in charge of counterterrorism. That’s not who we’ve got booked at Streaming Café April 2^nd.

The Daniel Benjamin we’ve got coming is actually an international artist, hailing from Stuttgart, Germany. He brings with him a history of being in a punk band at the otherwise tender age of 14, having more than 150 recorded songs under his belt, having played at least 1200 concerts in at least 15 different countries, and having the need for a harpsichord when he tours Canada this spring.

Yep, that’s right. Benjamin is looking for a harpsichord to lug around as he tours the country! To quote Michael, our booking guy, “this man is true to his art!” None of those electronic piano/harpsichord thingies for this virtuoso!

Okay, then: Daniel Benjamin is a former punker who uses authentic harpsichord in his music; I think that tells you what he’s like right off the bat. Benjamin posts a regular video blog to his website, and in the videos, his music plays under clips from his latest journeys. It’s kinda cool. When viewing the blog you’re just as likely to find Daniel and Eleni driving along in their car with music blaring from the stereo as you are to see Benjamin lying in bed with a head cold, or tuning his wife’s harpsichord.

Over this last year, Benjamin has gone through a metamorphosis in his music. He talks of rediscovering the ancient virtues of German tradition, including baroque melodies and influential art and architecture. He and his wife have changed the name of their touring show from “Daniel Benjamin” to “SEA+AIR”, a cross-language play on words with ‘sea’ sounding like the German for “she”, and ‘air’ sounding like the word for “he” (it’s “She + He”, in other words). His tour bio ends with the question: “Are you ready for harpsichords instead of keyboards, timpani instead of drums, classical guitar instead of rock axes and an organ pedal instead of a bass guitar?”

Benjamin is signed to the indie Haldern-Pop Records, a branch off of the successful cult-like Haldern-Pop Festival in northern Germany. He’ll be traveling with his wife Eleni when he comes through Streaming Café April 2 on their Sea+Air tour, and I’m sure we’ll be able to expect innovative ideas throughout the evening. 

Daniel Benjamin - "My Cloud Has Lost It's Silver Lining"