Brave Parents

Brave Parents, Don't Ask - Under the Radar

Opening up the night was Brave Parents, a trio originally from Vancouver and now based in Toronto. It was apparently their first show as Brave Parents (or at least that’s what I remember hearing) but the band’s relative newness didn’t show in their set. Armed with two guitars and a drummer, vocalist Shane Turner made for a strong stage presence.

Their sound could be loosely described as “rock” though that wouldn’t do them much justice. There’s a clearly large amount of energy in the three guys, particularly Turner, who put lots of passion into his reverbed vocals and occasional guitar attacks. - Grayowl Point

When I was a young kid I had a 7"inch from a band called Bachman Turner Overdrive, it was about something you ain't seen nothing yet.
Decades later comes from Canada (yes I know, soon we can live there!) a band named Shane Turner Overdrive comes my way.
Actually it all came as some surprise as I recently reviewed an album by the rather great Fanshaw and it happens that one of their musicians is involved in this band as well.
The honesty in me needs to point out that I was expecting something like Fanshaw but it's something totally different.
Does it make sense to describe a band as modern psychedelic pop?
And then I mean something like early Dandy Warhols or like those other Canadians I can't shut up about, Besnard Lakes.
I wish I could say more about 'em but that's all I found...
So perhaps this time music speaks louder than words....
http://www.myspace.com/shaneturneroverdrive-shane-turner.html - The Original Sin

Immediately, the intro. hooked me with its building, haunting melody. I needed to hear more. The subsequent drop into “Wigs” fit perfectly and, although the vocals are a bit buried in the mix, it’s easy to get immersed in this song. The album then slows down and meanders a bit, trying to find its voice until the drum introduction for “Age 25-29 Hairline” kicks in. The chorus falls at just the right time, with the right amount of hook to give the album a second wind. I had to hit repeat.


Things keep a good pace from there. Although nothing is quite as memorable as “Hairline”, the songs are catchy enough to get into until “Cedric Sneer” begins and the album comes to a complete halt. This quick organ interlude, as with the earlier “Cyril Sneer”, kills what flow the album is building and feels unecessary. Nothing quite hits the highs of the middle of the album again until the final track, “Weird Dream”, which starts off slower and then drops into a really catchy bridge/outro that leaves you wanting more.

Wanting more is probably the best way for me to describe this album, in more than one sense. I do love the lo-fi production – the warmth of the recording fits the feel of the music perfectly – however, I find that the vocals are regularly buried in the mix. All of the songs except for one are short, under 3 minutes, and they feel that way. Most tracks blend into one another and, with the exception of a few, don’t stick with me once they’re over. That being said, the few songs that did leave an impression will be making their way into my regular rotation.

Indie-pop lovers: I think you will find that this album is right up your alley. It’s hooky, haunting, and, although it stumbles a bit and blends together, the few real standout songs make the hiccups more than forgivable.

- Singing Lamb

Immediately, the intro. hooked me with its building, haunting melody. I needed to hear more. The subsequent drop into “Wigs” fit perfectly and, although the vocals are a bit buried in the mix, it’s easy to get immersed in this song. The album then slows down and meanders a bit, trying to find its voice until the drum introduction for “Age 25-29 Hairline” kicks in. The chorus falls at just the right time, with the right amount of hook to give the album a second wind. I had to hit repeat.


Things keep a good pace from there. Although nothing is quite as memorable as “Hairline”, the songs are catchy enough to get into until “Cedric Sneer” begins and the album comes to a complete halt. This quick organ interlude, as with the earlier “Cyril Sneer”, kills what flow the album is building and feels unecessary. Nothing quite hits the highs of the middle of the album again until the final track, “Weird Dream”, which starts off slower and then drops into a really catchy bridge/outro that leaves you wanting more.

Wanting more is probably the best way for me to describe this album, in more than one sense. I do love the lo-fi production – the warmth of the recording fits the feel of the music perfectly – however, I find that the vocals are regularly buried in the mix. All of the songs except for one are short, under 3 minutes, and they feel that way. Most tracks blend into one another and, with the exception of a few, don’t stick with me once they’re over. That being said, the few songs that did leave an impression will be making their way into my regular rotation.

Indie-pop lovers: I think you will find that this album is right up your alley. It’s hooky, haunting, and, although it stumbles a bit and blends together, the few real standout songs make the hiccups more than forgivable.

- Singing Lamb

This has been the least relaxing vacation ever, since I’ve spent the past week writing full-time. On Friday I did a big interview, and the article should be published next week. I’m not going to say any more about it in case I jinx it.

On Thursday, the Georgia Straight published my article about Shane Turner Overdrive, a Vancouver-based pop rocker who also plays in fanshaw and Woodpigeon. Here’s catchy a tune from his stellar self-titled debut called “Age 25-29 Hairline.” It pairs a peppy beat with eerie organ nd moody vocals, as well as some gorgeous harmonies from fanshaw’s Olivia Fetherstonhaugh. - Chipped Hip

Shane Turner was a one-time member of The Salteens and still inhabits the same spots (and stages) as herohill favs Fanshaw and Woodpigeon. Thankfully, instead of being driven by Hot Topic and Orange Julius, Shane’s self-titled debut is the result of playing with countless talented people (he contributed to The Choir Practice, The Salteens, Woodpigeon, Fanshaw and Memphis to name a few bands) and understanding of what it takes to put a song together and a patience that allowed him to fine tune his craft over the last eight years.

On a casual listen you might hear a song like Tapes of Libra and fixate on the similarities it has to some of Mark Hamilton’s work, but the record is too focused and cohesive to think of this as anything more than a tip of the cap to a friend. As Shane hits you with hook after hook, it becomes obvious that he didn’t want to drag you into his sadness. The blissful guitar pop is laced with honesty and sing-along choruses that will warm the hearts of Nada Surf fans (just take a listen to Riots of Spring or the first minute of Weird Death) as he eschews the muddled, lo-fi sounds and dreary outlook that saturates and slows down indie rock today. Basically, his songs are rooted in the premise that indie rock shouldn’t simply be a morose diary entry and intricate, 13-instrument arrangements. Turner prefers to plug in and rock, making sure any additional layers (like nice organ work or vocals from Olivia Fetherstonhaugh) or loop pedals are used to make a point not just to clutter up the mix.

Weaving all over the pop map – Taped on Walls drifts into New Pornographer comfort zone and the fuzz and static of Weird Death and give the record some bite and instability- Turner constantly works to keep the listener’s energy and interest up. Even the awesome-ly titled organ snippets (Cyril Sneerand Cedric Sneer) are nice palette cleansers that refresh the LP and prove that this role player is quite ready to step up and make the big plays needed during a playoff run.

http://www.herohill.com/2010/05/quick-hitters-shane-turner-overdrive.htm - Hero Hill

Shane Turner is no stranger to the music world. Since moving to Vancouver eight years ago, Turner has been in or around as many bands as these hands have fingers to count on. After years of occupying his time with such groups as Fanshaw, the Choir Practice, Woodpigeon and more, Turner has found the space to conceive and give birth to his long gestating solo project, Shane Turner Overdrive. There is no denying the talent and intention Turner brings to the table, and this collection of tunes may be the icing on the indie rocker’s cake. The songs are recorded lo-fi and live off the floor, warts and all, which gives the album a nice human touch. Turner’s voice is strong yet fragile, his songs short and sweet. The album blends nicely together and aside from a couple of near stumbles, the thread binding the songs together is seamless. Album opener “The Exit Railings” is sweet like honey. Even better is when it kicks into “Wigs,” a fuzzy rocker tune with the makings of a favourite. Turner has produced a near gem of an album, featuring some really nice vocals, a plethora of instruments, some strong and clever songwriting and just enough rock to keep things interesting. Though it clocks in at just under 25 minutes, this album is good enough to leave on repeat as that near half hour turns into a daylong dream-like listen. - Discorder Magazine

Shane Turner may be cribbing part of his new project’s name from Randy Bachman’s blue-collar group from the ’70s, but Shane Turner Overdrive definitely doesn’t sound like a meat-and-potatoes kind of band. Sure, there’s a ton of guitar fuzz throughout its eponymous disc, but between a host of giddy hooks and Turner’s fey singing style, the outfit is just too dandy to confuse with the classic CanCon act.

Despite the deftly pounded out drumbeats and luscious wall of distorted six-strings on “Taped on Walls”, Turner’s tender falsetto runs on the deceptively crunchy cut will inspire more swooning than fist-pumping.

While other numbers like “Good Only on Fridays” keep things dialled in at 11, the minimal, drum-loop-driven “Libra Tapes” brings the adorable duet between Turner and fanshaw vocalist Olivia Fetherstonhaugh to the forefront, only for everything to be cut off abruptly with the sound of a tape click.

Keeping things curt seems to be one of the band’s favourite tricks: only a few of the tracks crack the two-and-a-half-minute mark. Even so, the 73-second-long “Ego Thrown” is stuffed to the gills with punchy power-pop hooks. On the other hand, pump organ interludes “Cyril Sneer” and “Cedric Sneer” come off as half-baked studio improvs.

But even with its few minor setbacks, Shane Turner Overdrive’s ADD approach to songwriting promises that there will be another quick fix coming up shortly. - The Georgia Straight

Shane Turner didn’t always have indie cred. Although the former Choir Practice member plays in a slew of buzz-worthy bands, including Woodpigeon, Fanshaw, and Shane Turner Overdrive, he was once a staple of the most woefully uncool scene around: the cover-band circuit.

It all started when he moved to Vancouver from Penticton a decade ago. Not knowing anyone here, he answered ads and was soon cranking out predictable sets of rock ’n’ roll standards for punters across the country.

Sipping a beer at Broadway’s Our Town Café, Turner laughs when recalling his former gig. “In most cover bands all five players sing, so they all just take turns because you’ve got to do three sets,” he explains. “I would do Michael Jackson or Prince—I would do the higher-singing party tunes.”

Although Turner isn’t proud of this aspect of his past—“It’s embarrassing,” he admits—there’s no denying that the cover-band scene has its perks. “In your average bar, which would pay an original band $200, they’ll pay you a couple grand just [because of] the fact that they know that everybody knows the tunes and they’re crowd-pleasers, which is kind of lame.”

For Turner, those hefty paycheques are a thing of the past, since he’s now fully entrenched in the grind of indie rock. In the spring, he released a self-titled album under the name Shane Turner Overdrive, a moniker he’s been kicking around since childhood.

“My dad gave me the name when I was 13, when I was in a band,” he recalls. “He was always pressuring me because he had a band called Danny Turner Overdrive.”

Rather than a homage to a certain group of blue-collar bar rockers from Winnipeg, the songwriter explains that the name is actually a tribute to his father. “I was done with the name, but then my dad passed away two years ago,” he says.

This loss inspired the album’s deeply personal subject matter, as Turner penned all of the lyrics during a whirlwind writing session. “I pieced all the record together,” he says, “and once I was almost ready to record it—even during recording it—I wrote all the lyrics in a couple weeks together, so the themes could be tied.”

Despite songs that deal with weighty topics such as death and the father-son relationship, Shane Turner Overdrive is anything but a downer. The vocals are buried low in the mix, placing the emphasis on crunchy guitars and jubilant melodies. Jittery beats and “ba-ba” backing vocals propel the energetic “Taped on Walls”, while Fanshaw’s Olivia Fetherstonhaugh provides angelic harmonies on the stomping “Age 25-29 Hairline”.

“It was meant to be a summer record,” Turner confirms, explaining that the lyrics were intended as a counterpoint to the sunny music.

Still, the album isn’t all bouncy guitar pop: the rockers are interspersed with several haunting song fragments, some of which clock in at under a minute. Three of these snippets, Turner says, provided him with a vehicle to showcase some of his favourite junk-shop finds.

“I bought three different chord organs from three different pawn shops or thrift stores or garage sales,” he says. “The five-dollar chord organ that broke right after we recorded it, and we couldn’t redo it for a second take, on ‘Cyril Sneer’—I’m glad I made use of that and now I have it forever.”

The album came out in May, receiving a warm local response and shooting to number one at UBC’s CiTR radio station. Still, Turner confesses that Shane Turner Overdrive didn’t receive the attention he’d hoped in the Prairie provinces; ironically, this indifferent reaction may be because audiences mistook the BTO-alluding name for that of a cover act. “They think that it’s a tribute band or something like that,” the songwriter complains.

Now, the ever-versatile Turner has thrown himself into more new projects. He recently began playing bass for his brother, rapper Little T, and has embarked upon a project recording street musicians he’s met while working in the Downtown Eastside at a resource centre designed to build life skills.

“They get a hold of me and they trap me in the back one day and just start singing me their songs,” he says. “They’re actually great songs, and there’s a bunch of songwriters like that, but their drug addictions are their first priority.”

Meanwhile, the multitalented musician is still promoting Shane Turner Overdrive as much as possible and is looking to tour Canada and the U.S. later this year. South of the border, he says, he doesn’t expect to encounter the same resistance to his inherited band name.

“In America, where they might not have heard of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, it might have a new life,” he muses. “They might not care about it; it might just be a name.” - The Georgia Straight

Shane Turner's resume includes contributions to acts like the Choir Practice, Woodpigeon and Fanshaw, and in 2012 he released a self-titled full-length under the name Shane Turner Overdrive. For his next record, the songwriter has relocated from Vancouver to Toronto and formed a new band called Brave Parents. Their album Someone to Jump Out at You is due out February 26.

The record was recorded as a duo by Turner and April Leino, although the lineup has now swelled to four members. It's being billed as Turner's sophomore album, despite the fact that it's being released under a new moniker.

According to the band's press materials, Someone to Jump Out at You moves away from the lo-fi sound of Shane Turner Overdrive in favour of a "darker and more polished pop sound full of invigorating textural melodies, sonic unease and elegant noise."

Scroll past the tracklist to watch a pair of grainy, Super-8-quality music videos for the tuneful album cuts "Party Bag" and "Don't Ask." These offer a promising glimpse of the album's atmospheric, low-key sound.

Someone to Jump Out at You:

1. Hold with the Hair
2. Locus of Control
3. Don't Ask
4. Party Bag
5. Plain Speak
6. Parting Gifts
7. Escape Artist
8. 1997
9. October
10. Run with the Hounds
- Exclaim

Shane Turner's resume includes contributions to acts like the Choir Practice, Woodpigeon and Fanshaw, and in 2012 he released a self-titled full-length under the name Shane Turner Overdrive. For his next record, the songwriter has relocated from Vancouver to Toronto and formed a new band called Brave Parents. Their album Someone to Jump Out at You is due out February 26.

The record was recorded as a duo by Turner and April Leino, although the lineup has now swelled to four members. It's being billed as Turner's sophomore album, despite the fact that it's being released under a new moniker.

According to the band's press materials, Someone to Jump Out at You moves away from the lo-fi sound of Shane Turner Overdrive in favour of a "darker and more polished pop sound full of invigorating textural melodies, sonic unease and elegant noise."

Scroll past the tracklist to watch a pair of grainy, Super-8-quality music videos for the tuneful album cuts "Party Bag" and "Don't Ask." These offer a promising glimpse of the album's atmospheric, low-key sound.

Someone to Jump Out at You:

1. Hold with the Hair
2. Locus of Control
3. Don't Ask
4. Party Bag
5. Plain Speak
6. Parting Gifts
7. Escape Artist
8. 1997
9. October
10. Run with the Hounds
- Exclaim