Phun at The Phog...

Whew... Windsor was great (as always)! Thanks to Tom Lucier who's a stand-up guy, and serves a mean stout. The Matavaras rocked it, and through the magic of the interweb, Tom streamed their soundcheck live! Crazy...

Thanks also to all the folks who popped in for the show. You guys were a super-cool crowd! We'll be back soon enough, and with Phoggy Tom's help we'll hook up with a local act and see if we can't pack 'er to the rafters!

Love Ya!

Brand new songs!

Hey there! You guys are patiently waiting for our new album, we know. So to help tide you over we've put up 3 brand spankin' new tracks exclusively on the Facebook fanpage!

Head on over to take a listen. The tracks are as they will appear on 'The Decline", which is due out in the new year.

Don't forget to leave a comment on the fanpage wall to let us know what you think.

Love ya!

Elvyn

Peterborough rocked!

That was awesome! Thanks to all the fine folks who came out and just grooved with us. You guys made our night!
Of course James and The Spades (Tom & Chachi) threw down too. Thanks for a great night guys, and thanks too to Ryan Kemp and the great staff at The Red Dog. There are some more shots over at the Facebook fanpage, as usual.

Peace, lots of love and we'll see you again soon Peterborough!

Elvyn & The Spades @ The Red Dog - NEARLY SOLD OUT!

If you didn't get tix yet to The Spades Show at The Red Dog in Peterborough on Saturday night, you better get a move on! According to The Wolf, where James and the boys did a few songs and an interview this morning, they've almost sold out.

If, however you did get a ticket, you're in for a treat. We're gonna kick out the jams for you, and The Spades live show is legendary. Let's do this...

New show added!

Windsor, Ontario here we come!

We're heading down to The Phog Lounge with Nova Scotia/Toronto folk rockers The Matavaras. These guys state such influences as The Seeds, Big Star and The Band so needless to say we're looking forward to this one!

As usual tickets are available at the door, and stay tuned for prices and any other updates. In the meantime, go check out The Matavaras at their webpage or their Facebook where you can listen to some of their great songs.

Thanks everyone!

Monday night was a blast at The Horseshoe thanks to our great friends who came out, the fine bar staff who kept things lubricated, Brian the sound man who mixed up a heady rock n' roll potion for us, and of course Craig Laskey.

In a couple of weeks we'll be in Peterborough to open for an old friend James McKenty and his band The Spades at The Red Dog on the 12th. You can grab advance tickets for ten bones at The 'Dog, and if you're Facebook-savvy you can check out the event details here.

FREE Horseshoe show - Monday Nov. 30th!

Hey everyone, we're back at the Horseshoe Tavern on Monday night to start the week off right! We hit the stage at 9:45, so if your Monday is looking a little lackluster right now come on out, say hi and enjoy the tunes. See ya there!

New show(s) added - UPDATE!

'Sup?

We like T.O. so much, we thought we'd keep coming back! We're returning to The Silver Dollar on January 8th for a show with Toronto's own indie-rock phenoms The Hey Now.

These guys specialize in hooky melodies and apparently don't mind the odd cup of Earl Grey! You can check them out at theheynow.com and their Myspace.

Elvyn take the stage at 10:40pm, followed by The Hey Now at 11:40pm. Garage-funkers Nature Moves Faster will funk the night away at 12:30am.

But first, we're staying close to home in December for a show at The Historic Red Dog in Peterborough with James McKenty & The Spades!

So if you're looking for some great music in The 'Patch, then come out to The Red Dog on Saturday, December 12th for Peterborough's native sons Elvyn and The Spades! Tickets available now for $10 from The Red Dog.

November album update!

Well, it's getting colder every day. We're keeping things hot in the studio though, with our new record almost there. By the end of next week all the songs will be finished! Then we'll spend the usual evenings over beer & pizza scrapping over the track listing and cover art.

Once we get the track listing sorted out, we'll be picking three of our favorites to send out as far afield as Nashville, Tennessee, the U.K. and Halifax! We're hoping to get a little label backing for this record in an effort to get the songs out there to you, our friends, either at a live show in your town or on the radio waves.

We're also working hard on some special stuff for the release of the record, which will remain classified for now. So, buckle in kiddies 'cos it's almost time to go!

Elvyn @ The Silver Dollar - Review

Here's a review of our Silver Dollar show in T.O. from the "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans" music blog;

"Brothers Joel and Ryan Beerman have been playing music together as Elvyn for just over 11 years now, and their professionalism and abilities have only increased during that time. Elvyn's mix of pure pop and alt-country is as catchy and accessible as it gets, filled with soaring harmonies and heartbreaking lyricism. If you've ever listened to either their 2002 release Ten Car Stereo or their 2004 EP The Big Bay, then you're likely scratching your head also as to why they've never had so much as a hit song, let alone nationwide success. Of course, with the overwhelming onslaught of music these days, I suppose this is just a product of the musical climate that we live in, and a band such as Elvyn has to settle for making an impression by playing as many gigs as they can and letting the buzz flow that way."

For the rest of the review, and some shots from the show head over to the "INTBIH,ITF" (phew) blog here;

It's not the band I hate, it's their fans"

And as always, hit up the Facebook page for more live shots and groovy updates.

That Elvyn Sound, Part 1.

If you're anything like us, when you go to a show you wander up to the stage to peer at the gear up there. Over the next few weeks we'll be showing the gear each of us use. It's not always the most high-tech, but it gets the job done. First up, we'll look at what Jeremy uses.
O.k. pedal board first. In amongst the dust bunnies and used ear plugs are (left to right) An Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail reverb, a Monster Paper De-Layzer delay, an Electro-Harmonix Stereo Pulsar tremolo, a Boss e.q. (used for volume cuts, mainly), a Boss SD-1 Super Over drive (modded by Monster Paper Effects), a Mojo Hand Copperhead dual boost and a Boss TU-2 tuner.
Guitars! We have a Gibson Les Paul Special double-cut w/ P-100's, a Gretsch 6120 and a Fender parts caster w/ tone mods by Deadwood Sound.

And this is where the magic happens; a 15 watt Deadwood Sound combo in a solid maple cabinet with a single 10" Fender speaker from a Blues Junior. The circuit is loosely based on the famous 5E3 that we all know and love, but with a few significant (and highly secret!) alterations that really clean up the tone all the way to cranked.

So, there we go. Next up, Jason's Bass rig!

This Friday! ~Elvyn LIVE @ The Silver Dollar Room~

Hey space cadets. When you're making your plans for Friday night, make sure you come to The Silver Dollar Room for a sonic holiday as Elvyn support St. Johns Nfld's Catcher on their tour.
You can check them out at their Myspace or Facebook pages...
So, we'll see ya there rock fans!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

...On the Bass Guitar, Mr. Jason O'Reilly!

Wilco @ Massey Hall

Man, those gallery seats are tough going! Despite that, Wilco blazed through about two hours of some of the most tuneful, edgy, and creative rock music. Worth every penny, and a cramped seat!



Liam Finn, the son of Neil Finn of Crowded House popped in for a song during the encore.

And it was every bit as great as I had hoped! A totally rocking set that covered almost all their records, with a bombastic "Monday/Outtasight (Outtamind)/Hoodoo Voodoo" guitar battle close-out.

Souldier custom guitar straps

Hey there,

I guess this qualifies as another "product review" of sorts, but I found this little company through (where else) Wilco's links page. They have been using Souldier straps for ages it seems, as they are both based in Chicago. The Souldier website allows you to make pretty much any combination of fabric, hardware, leather or vinyl end tabs and the recycled seatbelt material that make up their custom straps. This is the strap I ordered for my Gretsch, and it's awesome as you can see. Super high quality, and so much nicer than anything I've seen in a music shop in years.

If you like the idea of getting exactly what you want for your straps, then follow the link to Souldier's website in the links sidebar.

Elvyn @ The Green Bottle

We had a blast at Craig's place, as always. Proof of Ghosts and The Micronite Filters put on a great show, and the Powershift folks had a rockin' benefit. You know the drill, here's a few pics, and the rest will be on the Facebook page. Join up by clicking the button on the right of the page.

'Till next time...

Oh no! It's the fuzz!

Wow. $285, but what an effect! Blackout Effectors Twosome Dual Fuzz is two discrete fuzz circuits in one enclosure that provide the most versatile fuzz tones imaginable. If you love vintage sounding fuzz, this is for you.

Let's hope it doesn't sell out before I can get one!

Yes!

Less than two weeks guys! By the way, the red washers from flip-top Grolsch bottles make Wilco-approved strap locks!

Support your local Elvyn!

Hey guys,

More rock shows in T.O.!

Elvyn will be playing shows at two of Toronto's music landmarks this fall, The Silver Dollar Room and The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern! We need you guys to do Elvyn a solid... Come on out to these great venues, and help us show them a rockin' party like they've never seen!

We're bringing a compact set of our rockin'-est tunes as part of a super-fun "Shoeless Monday" lineup at The Horseshoe on November 30th with support from T.O. singer-songwriter George Casey and his band, as well as The McFlies. This seven-piece cover all those awesome 80's classics with an all-acoustic twist.

I predict dancing...

But first, we'll be playing a full set with a handful of the finest covers at The Silver Dollar Room on October 23rd in support of St. Johns, Newfoundland's Catcher! Check them out at their Myspace.

Lineup update!

Hey everyone,

We're really happy to say that Elvyn will be at The Green Bottle in Oshawa on October 9th with an amazing band, Proof of Ghosts.

check them out here; http://www.myspace.com/proofofghosts

You gotta come out to Craig's place for this one!

Elvyn @ Velvet Underground

We had a great time at The Velvet with The Speaking Tongues & Black Diamond Heavies! Thanks a lot to all the peeps who came out, and thanks to the other bands and Dan Burke. Here's a couple of pics... For more, join the Elvyn Facebook page by clicking the button on the right.

Oh, hell yes!

I will be stickin' around for these boys for damn sure. Get yerselves out for this show on the 17th @ Velvet Under Ground!

New show added...

Hey everyone,

We're coming back to the Green Bottle in Oshawa in October! Stay tuned for the full lineup and further details.

"As Dark As It Is" - Live @ Jimmy Jazz

As Dark As It Is ("Elvyn" LIVE)


Here's a rough n' ready video of a song from the first record captured by a fan, and it's still a crowd-pleaser! We did this off the floor, and the sound is actually pretty good!

Thanks a lot for coming out to Guelph, and for sending us the video!

"The Decline" - Brand new mix!

Hey kids,

Here's the BRAND NEW MIX of "The Decline"! Quite a few changes from the last one, but we're diggin' it.

So? What d'ya think? Let us know through the Facebook, Myspace or at elvyn10@hotmail.com.

Adios for now.

Elvyn - No.7 in September!

Elvyn made No.7 on the CBC-approved "It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans" top ten in September list for our show with Black Diamond Heavies at The Velvet Underground! Here's the skinny;
7. Black Diamond Heavies / Elvyn @ Velvet Underground
(Thursday September 17th; Cost: TBA)

Black Diamond Heavies are an American band that take everything that is raw and dirty about rock 'n roll and boil it into a soulful stew that is as loud and authentic as the music of any gritty garage band to emerge out of the Detroit scene over the last 30 years. Except they're actually from Nashville. And I haven't actually heard them yet. Still, from what I've read, it sounds like they put on a heckuva rawk show. Admittedly, the main reason that this show makes my monthly ten list for September is the fact that Peterborough's Elvyn will be kicking off the night, and they'll likely be showcasing some songs from their upcoming full length, which should be out in the near future. Elvyn revels in the kind of rootsy pop music that makes artists like Teenage Fanclub and The Jayhawks so great, and they're certainly worth getting out on a Thursday night for.

For the rest of the picks, head over to the blog at

It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans

Elvyn - "The Decline" album update

Hey folks,

Well, things are progressing nicely here at Little Wagon Studios. One by one, the songs are getting their final mixes done. This record, tentatively titled "The Decline" will be a departure from Ten Car Stereo in that it has been written, recorded and mixed entirely by Elvyn at Little Wagon. The only stage that will be done outside of our studios will be the final mastering.

Needless to say, we're super happy with the results so far and it's well worth the extra time and effort to get just the sound we're after.

We'll also try to get new mixes up for you to hear as soon as they're ready. It'll give you all a chance to see how the songs evolve during the recording process, and hopefully when you see Elvyn live, the songs will be familiar to you.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with us for this new record.

Love,

Elvyn

New show added!

Hmmm... Let's see. Swirling Hammond organ? Clattering drums? Raw-throated Nashville garage blues?


Alright! Black Diamond Heavies from Nashville, Tennessee are coming to town and Elvyn will be supporting them at The Velvet Underground in T.O. If you're a fan of stripped down garage blues in the vein of Dan Auerbach/The Black Keys, The White Stripes and The Kills then make sure you catch the show.

http://www.myspace.com/blackdiamondheavies

Backwoods tomfoolery...

One of the side effects of getting a new record ready to put out is having to take promo pictures. Ansel Adams we are not!

Anyway, here's a couple of out-takes from half an hour in the woods with four dudes... ahem.

Elvyn @ The Jimmy Jazz

Here's a video made by our friends The Reverb Syndicate from a Jimmy Jazz show a couple of years ago. Elvyn come on at 2:30 into the video, featuring the imposing Dean O'Reilly on guitars. We love ya dean!

So take a look, and if you like our cover of Angelyne by The Jayhawks, come on out to The Jimmy Jazz this Friday night for a great free show w/ The Fleece Elves.

Big news from Little Wagon Studios!

Hello friends, Giles Toppingley-Smythe here all the way from Little Wagon Studios. I'm very pleased to announce that there are three brand new songs from Elvyn's forthcoming L.P. available to preview on our music player! They are;

"Don't Leave, Don't Go"
"The Decline"
"Be Mine Today"

We would very much appreciate your comments and feedback by means of the comment section of this post, our Myspace or our Facebook page, or simply at elvyn10@hotmail.com.

Thank you very much.

The Sadies, "The Horseshoe", from the Rat Fink movie

Total badass-ery in every way. These guys are probably the best band in Toronto, and host the best New Years Eve shindigger out there, coincidentally, at The Horseshoe.

Yes!

So stoked! Ticketmaster really suck though. 10am, sale begins. Two tickets please... Online? Nope. LiveNation? Nu-uh. Ticketmaster's automated phone line? No dice. At about 10:45 I got an actual live person at ticketmaster! Two tickets... yeah, no problem. WHAT?!

Anyway, enough of that. Joel and I will be there with some pals, and it'll be great! Photos will be forthcoming...

Jer.

Blog updates!

Hey everyone, Carl the web guy here. We're getting used to this interweb now! I've taken a break from my World of Warcraft marathon and added some new functions to the blog, including direct links to buy CD's or MP3's from a cool .99 cents on the right of the page as well as a music player, a list of our upcoming shows and a bunch of links to bands that we love.

Also, check back soon for a SNEAK PEEK at one of the tracks from the new Elvyn record that we hope to see about the same time as the snow flies!

Thanks a lot for stopping in.

MojoHand Copperhead Dual Boost - Review

Hey there folks. I doubt very much that product reviews will ever become a regular thing for two reasons; firstly, we don't change out effects or guitars that often, and secondly, this crap is expensive, and there ain't nobody flowing us free stuff!
That being said, I did buy a MojoHand Copperhead dual boost the other day. After several practices and using it live, I figured I'd throw up some info on it. According to the builder, this pedal is two of the same circuits on the same board. Each side of the pedal is a boost with volume and gain knobs, the main feature being the "cascaded" effect of using both sides together. Now, right off the bat there was no instructions in the box. No big deal, I hear you say. Well it kinda was. Powering this effect is quite finicky, and without guidance I bumbled along and was actually on the verge of sending it back!
The issue seems to be that the Copperhead munches power like a hungry T-Rex. I first stuck it at the top of my pedal chain powered by my Boss tuner/daisy chain thing. No dice. Anywhere south of cranked, the pedal sucked out volume and tone. Next I got my hands on a Godlyke Powerall, and used it in place of the boss. Now this baby pumps out 1.7 amps in comparison with the Boss' meager 500 milliamp supply. I got the same result!
Basically, you need to run a devoted power supply to this pedal. End of story. Now, the tone. On one side only, you can get a very transparent boost or turn up the gain for a fairly mild crunchy overdrive. Kick in the second side, however, and we're off to the races. Again you can dial in a very transparent drive/boost, or you can crank the gain knob for wailing Blackface-style overdrive. The pedal is built very well. I opened it up and the wiring is very tidy and economical. Overall, a solid and adaptable effect.


The "I did more research, and played at a bigger club" update...

O.k. turns out that this pedal is more af an amp pusher than an overdrive. At any volume it's way more boost than drive, and doesn't come into it glory until your amp is at 7 or 8. But when it is... Oh baby, she cries tears of tone. The best way to describe it is "your amp on 10, with just a bit more grit."
Jer.

Chance meeting...

I ran into this cat a few days ago in The Acoustic Drum Shop in Edmonton.


Joel was in town to play the Folk Festival. Had a little chat, and talked tenor guitars. A real class act, and apparently his slot was one of the festival highlights.

Nice to see you again Joel.

Les Paul, 1915-2009.

Paul pioneered overdubbing, delay effects, multi-track recording and phaser effects. Obviously, he put his name to one of Gibson's best-selling guitars, as well as having a signature model from Gretsch and recording 40 albums and selling millions of records.

Les Paul, R.I.P. and see ya later, alligator.

Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life

"The Good Life" Justin Townes Earle


Love this li'l ol' tune. Enjoy, friends.

Fell in love with a drummer...

A great friend to Elvyn, and mighty drummer; T. Craig Toutant.

All Is Lost music video

From our Big Bay E.P. Enjoy!

Duesenberg Multi-Bender lap steel

Wow. Pedal steel sounds from a lap steel. Want one!

Blast from the past...

Found these old photos in the archives from way back in 2005. Ah, memories.