Não é e hoje que Montreal no Canadá tem nos apresentado uma ótima safra de belas bandas caminhando por um lado que eu poderia situar como um shoegazer épico, algo sofisticado, não tão barulhento e nunca etéreo, talvez se o MBV tivesse como vocalista o Lloyd Cole.
Assim é o The City Gates que em 2013 já havia soltado e belo Collapse e volta a carga um pouco mais ruidoso e menos romântico e melancólico com o primeiro single de seu próximo ep, e a canção é majestosa, Checkpoint Charlie como coloquei, é um pouco mais guitarreira mas sem perder o clima épico de Collapse.
Ao lado de gente como Femme Accident e os prediletos Young Prisms o The City Gates forma a trinca de preciosidades de Montreal. Belíssimo.
***** Interview with The City Gates *****
Well, TCG has always been Max's band. It grew with him throughout the ages, with his inspirations and influences of the moment. Members came and left, the official line-up changed. John, our bass player, who happens to be Frank's musical soul mate had to, somehow join in at some point. The chemistry between us was immediate and spontaneous; leading to the TCG we know now, that amazing wall of sound! Funny how this reminds me a conversation my band and I had last week. We discuss about how we discovered many alternative bands, back in the 90s, by listening those tv shows called New Musik and Rage… I miss those days…
Q: Who are your influences?,
TCG's influences are waaaaay diverse… It is the love child of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slowdive, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Catherine Wheel, Mazzy Star, Chapterhouse, Secret Shine, Moose, Alison’s Halo, Medicine, Sweet Jesus, Asobi Seksu, Curve, Swervedriver, Doughboys, Bon Iver, The National, Little Richard, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Explosions in the Sky, The Ramones, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Mojave 3, The Pixies, Crass, Sonic Youth, Wanda Jackson, Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, The Misfits, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, etc. We use to listening a lot of different kinds of music all the time. I guess what makes TCG special is the very unique melting pot of amazingly diverse influences among us.
Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Ouch… that's a tough one… let's make this a top 6
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Automatic,
Slowdive – Souvlaki,
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless,
Pixies- Surfer Rosa,
Ramones- Ramones
and I would like to add the Lost & Translation soundtrack to the list.
Q. How do you feel playing live?
The live experience is the big deal for us. We are very sensible to each of them and every venue we get to play. Each gig has its own vibe, feeling and we love to feed on this! We could play the same set list at 3 different locations and each time you'd get a totally different experience. It all depends … what we had for breakfast, the daily news, the amount of red wine consumed, the crowd… but one thing for sure. We adore playing live shows… that's where it all happens: the magic, the noise, the chaos!
Q. How do you describe The City Gates sounds?
I don't know…. Max brings a shoegaze tsunami of psychedelic effects and haunting melodies. John's bass is a constant in-your-face, fuzzed, pure rock'n'roll bass beating while Frank's mastery of 80's alternative guitars and unmatched rhythm riffs blends it all in…. We like to call it our own modern answer to Phil Spector's infamous "wall of sound “. It is intense, powerful, melodic, psychedelic, moody, flavourful, raw yet complex!
Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs
We have been through a lot of different experimentations throughout our journey. We've tasted the luxury and expertise of what's probably the best recording studio in Montreal when we recorded "Collapse". Then, the band's line-up changed a lot, as the creative force. We've fooled around with different processes… none which we were totally comfortable with. Frank and John have been recording together for years, so right now, we are in the process of doing our own stuff, our way, by ourselves… and you know what, so far, I think we’re doing great! So, it is very encouraging.
Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
First of all, Montreal has some really great bands. I’m sure that you already know No Joy., You should also give a listen to Femme Accident and Year of Glad. Last year, we played with that Taiwanese band called Manic Sheep. They sound amazing! Then, I would also recommend Hibou, Sounds of Sputnik, The Fauns and Young Prisms.
Q: Which band would you love to make a cover version of?
Hahahaha! We are not really into covers, but I know John would kill to have us play Brian Hyland's "Sealed with a Kiss "!
Q: What are your plans for the future?
Right now we are focusing on our fore coming EP. We've got a lot of amazing material to record and we can't wait to get all of what we went through musically, personally and collectively on that new recording!
Q: Any parting words?
Look out for our new EP real soon, go vote whenever you must...love your family and your friends… and listen to all the music you can. It's good for your soul!
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Thanks
https://thecitygates.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/thecitygatesmusic/
