Foam Lake

Foam Lake, Force and Matter

A literal band of brothers originally from Moose Jaw make music that borrows liberally from their father’s record collection while laying down the catchiest of rock hooks and sweet harmonies. - www.thestarphoenix.com

Foam Lake, Force and Matter

A literal band of brothers originally from Moose Jaw make music that borrows liberally from their father’s record collection while laying down the catchiest of rock hooks and sweet harmonies. - www.thestarphoenix.com

If you listen very hard to Foam Lake's new album Force and Matter, you might hear the sound of a barking dog to accompany the guitars, synth and drums. It's the kind of charming mistake that comes with recording out of your own home.

"The song True Hearts for sure has a bark in it somewhere," Barrett Ross said on the day of the album's release.

Force and Matter, the band's debut, was recorded at The Church, a converted house of worship where Barrett lives with his dogs Indi and Pea and, of course, makes music. In his home studio, the control room is visible from Barrett's bedroom, so privacy isn't exactly in abundance.

"It's really neat and it sounds great, but there are no walls, so when people are here recording they are kind of everywhere. The only walls are the bathrooms," he said.

Luckily, the band is renovating a space in the same building to function as a more private recording space. And even though Force and Matter is still new to the public, the band is already working on a new record, which they hope to release in the not-too-distant future.

Recording Force and Matter on their own wasn't Foam Lake's original plan. Initially, the band was in talks to work with Saskatchewan native Kurt Dahle of the New Pornographers. When the producer suddenly moved and several other obstacles kept the band from recording, they decided to take it on themselves.

"In order to do it ourselves and the way we wanted, we had to spend a lot of money," he said. Thankfully, the end result was money well spent.

Foam Lake is quite literally a band of brothers. The band is made up of Barrett, Paul, Tyler and Kalen Ross.

Though one might assume four musical brothers grew up playing together, the four Ross men didn't really unite musically, aside from family Christmases, until Foam Lake formed in 2008. The only gig they ever played before becoming a band was a single song at Lydia's before the youngest brother, Kalen, was even legal drinking age.

Paul and Barrett previously worked together in The Bloodlines. When that group suddenly disbanded, Paul continued to write songs, which became the music of Foam Lake.

Writing on his own, Paul felt unencumbered and able to share his voice as a musician, Barrett said.

"I think after that band broke up, he felt a bit of a weight off his shoulders. He started writing and actually began recording on his own," Barrett said.

Gradually, his siblings came on board and lots of live performance followed. Foam Lake has built a reputation in Saskatoon's indie music scene and, after three years, fans were hungry for a record.

Force and Matter brings together the brothers' diverse influences. Not con-tent to limit themselves creatively, the band members are also involved in a number of other musical projects. Tyler and Kalen play together in The Warbrides, Barrett plays in Chiba and Paul is part of Slow Down, Molasses.

Every member brings something different to the band, Barrett said. While Paul takes care of lyrical content, Barrett gets more involved when it comes to arranging. Even after playing together for three years, the band members are still learning about each other as musicians.

"Some days you're just like, 'Where did that come from?' but in a good way. It's kind of neat. They're so weird, but in a good way," Barrett said with a laugh. That being said, Barrett trusts his brothers, and their occasionally weird instincts, implicitly.

That good and weird combination was put on display across North America this year when the band toured alone and with fellow Saskatoon musician Shuyler Jansen. Most recently, the band visited the Yukon for Break Out West and California for a SaskMusic showcase, where the band had the chance to play at NBC Universal Studios. Though the trips were vastly different, both were "awesome and strange," Barrett said. The self-described travel junkie is grateful for both opportunities and whatever may come out of the experiences.

In the meantime, Foam Lake is celebrating the release of Force and Matter with a Saskatoon CD release party. The band plays Amigos, with Father Figures and Adam & the Amethysts, on Saturday.

FOAM LAKE

with Father Figures and Adam & the Amethysts Saturday, Amigos

smckay@thestarphoenix.com

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix


Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/Band+Force+reckoned+with/5758987/story.html#ixzz1hyByexbY - www.thestarphoenix.com

Comprised of four brothers from Saskatchewan, Saskatoon’s Foam Lake is a band that has come into maturity with the release of their debut album Force and Matter. The Ross brothers, raised amongst instruments and pedal boards, are already trailblazers amongst their peers in the local scene, having made appearances in Los Angeles’ NBC Universal studios, The Western Canadian Music Awards as well as touring North America with Saskatoon’s Shuyler Jansen. And their debut album smacks of a young band doing everything right—spot-on arrangements are coupled with dusky vocals and scrappy pop hooks amidst lovelorn lyrics. Expect big things from this group in 2012. - www.aux.tv

Comprised of four brothers from Saskatchewan, Saskatoon’s Foam Lake is a band that has come into maturity with the release of their debut album Force and Matter. The Ross brothers, raised amongst instruments and pedal boards, are already trailblazers amongst their peers in the local scene, having made appearances in Los Angeles’ NBC Universal studios, The Western Canadian Music Awards as well as touring North America with Saskatoon’s Shuyler Jansen. And their debut album smacks of a young band doing everything right—spot-on arrangements are coupled with dusky vocals and scrappy pop hooks amidst lovelorn lyrics. Expect big things from this group in 2012. - www.aux.tv

"Foam Lake slide gracefully between clever synth pop and driving, broody indie rock – a testament to their vintage gear and immaculate attention to guitar tones. And on Force and Matter – which Ominocity was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of – the band benefits from some lofty production, bro-vocal melodies and huge drum sounds." - www.ominocity.com

Foam Lake – Force and Matter

Not sure what I appreciate more: the fuzz on the guitar tones or the fuzz on their faces. - www.ominocity.com

By Rachel Sanders
If you're going to make music, you might as well go all in. That's the philosophy of Saskatoon quartet Foam Lake. The four brothers who make up the band -- along with their sister -- have taken on the task of building a recording studio.

Over the past few years, the Ross brothers have all been active in other groups, including Slow Down, Molasses, the Blood Lines, the Warbrides and Chiba. In 2008, they formed Foam Lake, naming the family band for the town where their grandparents lived. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Ross says the studio project grew out of problems they had getting Foam Lake's newly released debut album, Force and Matter, recorded.

"We were supposed to record with Kurt Dahle from the New Pornographers," Ross explains in a recent Exclaim! interview. "We were getting together some funding but by the time we did, he had to move back to Vancouver. We would have had to go to Vancouver and live there for three weeks, which wasn't an option. It was totally out of our budget."

But Ross says that disappointment resulted in a family collaboration that they hope will pay for itself -- and bring down the cost of recording their own music.

"We had to put our own money into this, too, but if it was just on travel it would seem like a waste. I'm already a gearhead and so are my brothers, so we figured we might as just get some important pieces of gear that would make it all work together."

Ross says the studio -- currently under construction -- is actually the second part of their recording venture.

"We already have a studio here in an old converted church. My sister bought that church and also the hall. And we're pooling our abilities and some money together to build that hall into the studio now. It's a family operation. We have a lot of support from each other."

Although the hall studio is a work in progress, the church has already been used for recording. In addition to Foam Lake, Saskatoon bands such as Ultimate Power Duo have recorded there, as well as Eamon McGrath.

"The church is a living space as well," says Ross. "It's where my brother lives, so it's been kind of shared studio and living space. But it's too disruptive of their lives to have a studio in their house all the time, so now there's the hall where all the gear can stay and we can mostly record there and do a couple tracks in the church too if we want to."

Ross says the church is a unique room that lends itself well to expansive sounds and a warmer tone. Foam Lake's own debut, Force and Matter, makes use of the roominess of the church studio's sound. The band fill the generous space with synthesizer, new wave-tinged vocals and -- even on the quieter, rootsier tracks -- dramatic, reverberating guitars. It's a promising debut from both band and studio.

Force and Matter is out now, and Foam Lake will be playing a CD release party at Amigos in Sakatoon on November 26. - Exclaim!

By Rachel Sanders
If you're going to make music, you might as well go all in. That's the philosophy of Saskatoon quartet Foam Lake. The four brothers who make up the band -- along with their sister -- have taken on the task of building a recording studio.

Over the past few years, the Ross brothers have all been active in other groups, including Slow Down, Molasses, the Blood Lines, the Warbrides and Chiba. In 2008, they formed Foam Lake, naming the family band for the town where their grandparents lived. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Ross says the studio project grew out of problems they had getting Foam Lake's newly released debut album, Force and Matter, recorded.

"We were supposed to record with Kurt Dahle from the New Pornographers," Ross explains in a recent Exclaim! interview. "We were getting together some funding but by the time we did, he had to move back to Vancouver. We would have had to go to Vancouver and live there for three weeks, which wasn't an option. It was totally out of our budget."

But Ross says that disappointment resulted in a family collaboration that they hope will pay for itself -- and bring down the cost of recording their own music.

"We had to put our own money into this, too, but if it was just on travel it would seem like a waste. I'm already a gearhead and so are my brothers, so we figured we might as just get some important pieces of gear that would make it all work together."

Ross says the studio -- currently under construction -- is actually the second part of their recording venture.

"We already have a studio here in an old converted church. My sister bought that church and also the hall. And we're pooling our abilities and some money together to build that hall into the studio now. It's a family operation. We have a lot of support from each other."

Although the hall studio is a work in progress, the church has already been used for recording. In addition to Foam Lake, Saskatoon bands such as Ultimate Power Duo have recorded there, as well as Eamon McGrath.

"The church is a living space as well," says Ross. "It's where my brother lives, so it's been kind of shared studio and living space. But it's too disruptive of their lives to have a studio in their house all the time, so now there's the hall where all the gear can stay and we can mostly record there and do a couple tracks in the church too if we want to."

Ross says the church is a unique room that lends itself well to expansive sounds and a warmer tone. Foam Lake's own debut, Force and Matter, makes use of the roominess of the church studio's sound. The band fill the generous space with synthesizer, new wave-tinged vocals and -- even on the quieter, rootsier tracks -- dramatic, reverberating guitars. It's a promising debut from both band and studio.

Force and Matter is out now, and Foam Lake will be playing a CD release party at Amigos in Sakatoon on November 26. - Exclaim!

Foam Lake's Force and Matter is a buzzing, rollicking collection of pop-rock songs with a penchant for "whoa-oh-whoa" type vocal hooks. Built equally on guitars and keyboards, it could run simply on the gusto with which the band plays those instruments—opener "True Hearts" starts blasting from the second you start it—but there's some songwriting muscle behind its punch. The second half slips into more introspective navel gazing, and even there energy infuses its quieter moments: "Baggage," while downbeat, still has a quiet "whoo-hoo" thing going at the start. The success of Force and Matter is that for all of that, it never seems to run out of gas. - www.vueweekly.com

They are one of the most exciting bands currently bursting out of Saskatoon. Foam Lake is the synthed-out popfest from Slow Down, Molasses guitar player, Paul Ross, and his three brothers.

I had the opportunity to meet Paul a little while ago at the R3 studios here in Vancouver and he was kind enough to pass along a copy of Force and Matter. After a listen, I was pretty quick to zero in on my pick of the litter.

With True Hearts, the brothers Ross patch together an effervescent tune that finds the best balance between their new-wave and post-punk influences. Upbeat, catchy and fun, this track is pogo-perfect and a great pick to get you through the Wednesday grind.

(Steve Venegas is CBC Radio 3's Music Programmer and all around nice guy, who's writing has appeared in BeatRoute Magazine, The Vancouver Observer and The Calgary Herald. ~ Ed)? - radio3.cbc.ca

Force and Matter is the first release from Foam Lake, a band of four brothers rooted in the Saskatchewan town of the same name. Although all four have been active in other bands of varying styles, this album is a cohesive debut with a firm footing on modern Rock landmarks like The Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and early Peter Gabriel.

While the opener “True Hearts” is a standout with an exuberant bounce, (imagine the Arcade Fire playing a Skittles commercial), most of the album settles into a more serious tone. The band proves itself equally adept at arena-ready anthems, angular Indie-rock, and introspective dirges – sometimes all in the same song.

One criticism for Foam Lake is their abrupt changes in tone, especially on the vocals. They will turn from share-a-bus-seat intimacy to sermon-on-the-mount grandiosity within a beat or two. The effect is jarring and can be distracting from some well-crafted songs. When the production plays it straight (“Black Hole,” “Last Chance”), the band achieves a seamless blend of traditional and electronic elements, seldom heard since Grandaddy broke up.

Force and Matter is definitely worth repeated listens, but one can’t help but wonder how much more forceful these songs would be with a more direct presentation. This is a very promising debut, that’s left me waiting for a chance to hear Foam Lake live. - www.spillmagazine.com

Force and Matter is the first release from Foam Lake, a band of four brothers rooted in the Saskatchewan town of the same name. Although all four have been active in other bands of varying styles, this album is a cohesive debut with a firm footing on modern Rock landmarks like The Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and early Peter Gabriel.

While the opener “True Hearts” is a standout with an exuberant bounce, (imagine the Arcade Fire playing a Skittles commercial), most of the album settles into a more serious tone. The band proves itself equally adept at arena-ready anthems, angular Indie-rock, and introspective dirges – sometimes all in the same song.

One criticism for Foam Lake is their abrupt changes in tone, especially on the vocals. They will turn from share-a-bus-seat intimacy to sermon-on-the-mount grandiosity within a beat or two. The effect is jarring and can be distracting from some well-crafted songs. When the production plays it straight (“Black Hole,” “Last Chance”), the band achieves a seamless blend of traditional and electronic elements, seldom heard since Grandaddy broke up.

Force and Matter is definitely worth repeated listens, but one can’t help but wonder how much more forceful these songs would be with a more direct presentation. This is a very promising debut, that’s left me waiting for a chance to hear Foam Lake live. - www.spillmagazine.com

FOAM LAKE: FORCE AND MATTER
(Self-released, 39 minutes)
4/5

Quick, how many band names actually describe the music produced? The Clash? The Mothers of Invention? Pavement? You probably have a few additions of your own, but it’s worth noting how little regard is taken by indie bands these days when it comes to using their name as a quick lure to potential listeners.

Foam Lake, however, sound a lot like a foam lake. If such a thing existed it would be a deposit of thick, possibly synthetic material formed in a natural basin; likewise the band’s style is made from heavy, inorganic genres like dance and post-punk (both showcased in the soldier’s anthem “Die Fighting”) while fitting the gentle formation of folk music in their rich harmonies and taste for fluid melody, beautiful tune “Baggage” best fitting that description. - www.toromagazine.com

Every time I listen to Force and Matter, the debut full-length from Foam Lake, I hear The Dears. Seeing as no one else has noticed how similar they sound -- as far as I can tell -- it's probably just me and my odd habit of hearing similarities where none exist, but as far as I'm concerned the combination of Paul Ross' Murray Lightburn-esque vocals and the band's big sound makes the comparison inevitable...There's one key difference, of course: I can't stand The Dears, whereas I love Foam Lake. - i(heart)music

Force and Matter was mixed by Dave Carswell of the celebrated Vancouver production team JC/DC (The New Pornographers, Destroyer), who previously produced collaborator Jansen's Voice from the Lake. This new album reportedly "swings from absolute thunder to quiet whisper at the drop of a hat." In addition to delving into "brave new sonic territory," the band's influences include Neil Young, Ramones, My Bloody Valentine, and the Smiths. - Exclaim!

Force and Matter was mixed by Dave Carswell of the celebrated Vancouver production team JC/DC (The New Pornographers, Destroyer), who previously produced collaborator Jansen's Voice from the Lake. This new album reportedly "swings from absolute thunder to quiet whisper at the drop of a hat." In addition to delving into "brave new sonic territory," the band's influences include Neil Young, Ramones, My Bloody Valentine, and the Smiths. - Exclaim!

"[T]heir 38 minute record delivers a succinct rock statement that leaves behind frivolous embellishment, yet contains plenty of gems right from the first listen through. “True Hearts” serves up stabbing synths alongside expansive vocal washes of “oohs” that kicks off the album in high gear and sinks its claws deep into the listener’s ear. They keep melody in the forefront of the entire album, with the title track also rich in classic keyboard tone and vocal harmonies but more subtle in its delivery, showing their comprehension of knowing when less is more. Tyler Ross’ drumming also punctuates the song by avoiding a straight beat in favour of a slightly more inventive part, a trend he continues throughout the record to great effect. Add in the other two talented brothers Barrett and Kalen (bass and keys/guitar respectively), and you’ve got a recipe for success." - NXEW

"...expect Jansen to hit the road this spring with his new backing band, Foam Lake." - Exclaim magazine

"...expect Jansen to hit the road this spring with his new backing band, Foam Lake." - Exclaim magazine

"Foam Lake only have one song on their MySpace, but it might be the best song I've heard come out of Saskatoon." - Planet S Magazine

"simple melodies and
smooth vocals are layered in a
style heavily influenced by...
electronic experimentation."

http://thesheaf.com/pdf100/Sheaf2009-02-05web_B.pdf - www.thesheaf.com

"Saskatchewan really has a terrific collection of artists, and runs the gambit when it comes to style. The pop stylings of Maybe Smith (who offered up a preview of the new record, a duet with Christine Fellows) and Library Voices, the gritty punk of The Ultimate Power Duo, the electric roots of acts like The Deep Dark Woods and Shuyler Jansen and a hip-hop community that offered up a cornucopia of jams were obviously fantastic finds, but the real hidden gems were the complete surprises like a brand new song from Foam Lake (ex-Blood Lines - RIP) and the crazy country, shoegaze instrumental goodness of the Lazy MKs." - www.herohill.com