Melissa Cameron

so I went to the first show I’ve been to in a loooong while last night, and it was so good.
full disclosure: it was my cousin & dear friend melissa cameron’s ep release party, but blood relations aside, she’s fucking amazing. i can’t help being effusive about somebody when they are truly awesome, and she really is. when I first heard back to me, it totally blew me away. i grew up listening to bjork and no doubt, and missy was the biggest mariah carey and whitney houston fan….basically we listened to diametrically opposite ends of the pop spectrum, and couldn’t ever enjoy music together (ok, except for bette midler). but with this album, she’s crafted a disc of songs that is the best of both worlds.
she has the vocal control and range of mariah/whitney/any of those warbly glittery divas, but her songs are way more kate nash or lily allen-ish; totally fun, melodic, catchy jams. i woke up this morning withthe heartbreak still stuck in my head from last night. it’s a pretty great feeling to see someone you love so dearly grow into such a confident, talented performer, and she definitely has BIG TINGS for her in the future. so yes! GO! listen to her music and check out the album, with gorgeous artwork done by juliana neufeld, and 6 absolutely perfect pop gems.

CYANA MADSEN - This Girls Travels

The first time I saw Melissa Cameron sing was earlier this year when Bangs & Blush and one of Melissa's projects Brooklyn Price were both performing at the very first Heartstrings TV showcase at The Supermarket in Toronto; I remember watching her set blown away by her voice, confidence and over-all stage presence. Dating a musician who plays in multiple bands and who hangs out with mostly musicians has made me see that local musicians really pay attention to what their friends are doing and tend to support each other as much as possible, and because of this I've met multiple people who have either worked with Melissa or are friends of hers who swore by the girl's voice. As I grew more acquainted with her, I attended a few more events where she was involved and most of the time singing her own material. She told me "Back To Me" means that she wanted to get back to focussing on her own songs and her own individual project, making this her very first solo record. When I heard the record she's been working on within the last year (or even longer) was soon to be released, I couldn't wait to hear it; she hooked me up with a copy.

I took the cd out of the plastic and instantly my eyes were studying the beautiful cover (designed by Juliana Neufeld) for a pretty solid chunk of time; over time I've gathered that Melissa is a woman of grace, style and femininity, so the quirky, graphic yet delicate artwork seems like it suits her perfectly. But when it comes to musical style, I can't quite get her pegged. In most cases, you'd think this could be taken the wrong way, but with Melissa she embarks on many different musical routes from the beginning to end of Back To Me - and it works like gangbusters.

Instead of going the usual review-writing route I usually take, which involves me listening to the album and giving an over-all hum of what I think about the album as a whole, I decided to review each song individually, because Melissa only teased us with six songs on this record. Mind the point-form'esque blabbering about each tune, but I wrote all of them while at the time in the moment of listening to the song.


1. This Way
I hear Amy Winehouse-eqsue drums, extremely delicate vocals and harmonies blanketed by synth strings; this is a very good combo. Mid-way through the song, darker, ambient synths make an appearance, instantly giving it a bit of a different, harder edge. This is a strong way to open the album that effectively gives instant excitement for what's to come from the remainder of the album.

2. Invincible
Sounds like an immediate power-house break-up song. Slow, but punchy drumming and an organ gives this song a spooky vibe. I immediately recall this song from seeing Melissa perform it live, and always remembered it as one of my favorites. It has one of my favorite song endings on the album as well.

3. Back To Me
This is the only tune on the album with a ska flare, and I love it; sound works well with Melissa's soulful voice but still maintains the signature ambient, ghostly technique with a touch of some awesome choices of synth sounds. Also one of the more catchy chorus lines.

4. Adore
Back To Me's fourth track has a very electronic, Sigur Ros/Bjork like production which proves yet again that Cameron's solid power-house voice can work it's way into singing along to songs of all styles. Again, I love the synth sounds on this track.

5. In The Cold
This song has a lot of punch and a lot of emotion; definitely the heaviest song on the album.

6. The Heartbreak
'Heartbreak finishes off the album with a forceful blow; this song is catchy as hell and puts Cameron up there to the likes of Adele both melodically and vocally and leaves a 60's-esque taste in your mouth, which I obviously love. Seeing Melissa perform this song, she has the whole room chanting "HEY HEY" back at her, and it seems she's found the perfect recipe for a hit song.

To put it simply, Melissa's team of musical partners - Shirk Magazine

"Back in late September Toronto singer/songwriter Melissa Cameron released her debut EP, Back To Me. The iM has finally had the opportunity to sit down and listen to it and to say that we like what we hear, would be the understatement of the year."

THE INDIE MACHINE - The Indie Machine

Sometimes the greatest talents are right in front of your face and you don't even know it. I attended the Over The Top Festival, here in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and was introduced to a local hip-hop act wordPeople. Melissa Cameron (aka Missy Cam) caught my ear right away and reminded me of a younger, far less weathered Fergie. As the vocalist in this indie rock rap band, Cameron steals the show with her heavy vocals and natural range. Emcee ape.X certainly holds his own while Cameron weaves in and out of his rhymes like a pro. If you're looking to hear some cool Canadian music, bubbling under the radar this summer, try out their debut album People's Eatery and let me know what you think. Missy Cam is undoubtedly on her way to killin' it.

BY LARISSA PRIMEAU - Elle Canada

Described as, “Both vulnerable and rooted in a deep self-confidence,” by CBC Radio, and, “…a younger, far less weathered Fergie… Cameron steals the show with her heavy vocals and natural range,” by Elle Canada, Melissa Cameron is an easy choice for May 2012's Coffee Shop Project Pick of the Month!

Melissa’s debut solo EP, “Back To Me,” released in October 2011, is a sweeping collection of sultry melodies, delivered with velvety precision. A versatile artist with roots in the Canada’s west coast, Melissa is now based out of Toronto, where she is currently working on a full-length solo release. She’s also keeping her chops honed on the side with the electro-urban-pop trio, Brooklyn Pryce.

Stay in the know on Melissa’s tour and release dates and learn more about her at any of the links below!

LINKS
http://www.melissacameron.ca
http://twitter.com/mcameronmusic
https://www.facebook.com/melissacameronmusic
http://www.youtube.com/MelissaCameronTV

Get your CSP Download Card at the following coffee shops in Toronto:

- Lit Expresso Bar (810 College St., Toronto) http://www.litespressobar.com/

- Lit Expresso Bar (221 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto) http://www.litespressobar.com/

- Jimmy’s Coffee (107 Portland St., Toronto) http://www.jimmyscoffee.ca/

- Saving Gigi (859 Bloor St. W, Toronto) http://savinggigi.com

- Capital Espresso (1349 Queen St. W, Toronto) http://www.blogto.com/cafes/capital-espresso-toronto

- Cafe Pamenar (307 Augusta Ave., Toronto) http://cafepamenar.ca/

- Ideal Coffee (84 Nassau St., Toronto) http://www.idealcoffees.com

- Ideal Coffee (162 Ossington Ave., Toronto) http://www.idealcoffees.com

- Niche Coffee and Tea Company (626 Queen St. W, Toronto) http://www.nichecoffee.com/

- White Squirrel Coffee (907 Queen St. W, Toronto) http://www.whitesquirrelcoffee.com/

- Bisogno Espresso Bar (61 Sherbourne St.) http://www.twitter.com/bisognoespress

-Tequila Bookworm (512 Queen St. W) http://www.tequilabookworm.com/

-7th Sister Bakery (53 Roncesvalles Ave.) http://facebook.com/7thsister

- Audio Blood Media

All students dream of becoming successful in their chosen field. For Humber jazz graduate Melissa Cameron that dream is now a reality.
“People inspire me to do this. As a songwriter, it’s about experiences. It’s about writing about things you’ve been through, or things you’ve seen,” Cameron said in an interview last week.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Cameron is lead vocalist of the Toronto-based band wordPEOPLE, as well as getting ready to release her solo album early next year. The band’s single entitled Keep Up was featured on an episode of Global’s hit show Rookie Blue and Cameron’s solo single The Heartbreak is now available on iTunes.
“Over the last year I’ve been experimenting. I never said I was going to write just pop music or just rock music, I’ve just been going with whatever comes. I’ve been working with a lot of different people on purpose, just so I don’t get stuck in one type,” Cameron said.
Canadian jazz sensation Joani Taylor started teaching Cameron vocal lessons at a young age, and became her mentor. It was Taylor who persuaded Cameron to attend the jazz program.
Taylor said Cameron’s passion sets her apart as an artist.
“This girl knew she wanted to do this in kindergarten. She really works hard, and at every angle. She just absorbs everything,” said Taylor.
Fellow Humber jazz graduate Ben Nudds is the guitarist for wordPEOPLE. He said the best part about working with Cameron is that “she is proactive in the sense that she’s not trying to be someone she’s not. She focuses on her strengths as a singer and songwriter and that’s really important.”
Cameron said she credits Humber as a main reason behind her success, as she met her bandmates in the jazz program during her years as a student.
She said she advises students in any program to “enter things with an open mind. Be open to learning. Take all the experiences with you, and learn from that. The people that are with you in school will become your support system.”

Katie Brown
A&E Reporter - Humber Et Cetera