The Breezes

The Breezes
The Breezes
Independent


From the snowy streets of Montreal comes The Breezes, the new LP from the band with the same name. As the name of the record may imply, the band’s debut work is a collection of light, airy tunes that awaken a sense of nostalgia. Comparable to Toronto’s The Bicycles, The Breezes pump out songs that are catchy, cutesy and poppy, but with a sleepier, groggier twist. The stick-in-your head melody of “Promethean Eyes,” a standout on the record, is lilting and fluffy. Bathed in strings, the song sounds like a drugged-out, smoky ’70s Disco flashback, as does much of the album. The record definitely has a retro feel to it, with dreamy synth stabs and shimmery string choruses all over the place. Moments of familiarity blend with moments of experimentation, producing a record that’s simultaneously old and new, safe and daring. At times, the singer’s voice borders the fine line between being off-putting and being quirky and endearing. The vocals can come off as a bit juvenile and grating, while soothing at other points; a bit of a strange mix, but it keeps things interesting. Overall, The Breezes is a fun and enjoyable listen.

– Maria Sokulsky-Dolnycky (Twitter @marisodo)

TheBreezes.ca - The Spill Magazine

The Breezes
The Breezes
Independent


From the snowy streets of Montreal comes The Breezes, the new LP from the band with the same name. As the name of the record may imply, the band’s debut work is a collection of light, airy tunes that awaken a sense of nostalgia. Comparable to Toronto’s The Bicycles, The Breezes pump out songs that are catchy, cutesy and poppy, but with a sleepier, groggier twist. The stick-in-your head melody of “Promethean Eyes,” a standout on the record, is lilting and fluffy. Bathed in strings, the song sounds like a drugged-out, smoky ’70s Disco flashback, as does much of the album. The record definitely has a retro feel to it, with dreamy synth stabs and shimmery string choruses all over the place. Moments of familiarity blend with moments of experimentation, producing a record that’s simultaneously old and new, safe and daring. At times, the singer’s voice borders the fine line between being off-putting and being quirky and endearing. The vocals can come off as a bit juvenile and grating, while soothing at other points; a bit of a strange mix, but it keeps things interesting. Overall, The Breezes is a fun and enjoyable listen.

– Maria Sokulsky-Dolnycky (Twitter @marisodo)

TheBreezes.ca - The Spill Magazine

The Breezes
The Breezes
Self-Released [2012]



Fire Note Says: The Breezes deliver a diverse, eclectic mix of classic rock-style tunes that never take themselves too seriously.

Album Review: “Whoo! Explosions!” Thus begins the self-titled debut album from The Breezes, a Montreal-based band whose brand of quirky guitar-based pop swerves wildly from style to style, never really settling on any single one, instead trying on all manner of classic rock hats. That first song, “On Again,” quickly settles into a schizophrenic 70s pop groove, sounding like a cross between Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, A True Star album and early ELO, with guitars, strings and synths backing quirky nonsensical lyrics (“I used to know a flower in the sky / It turned into a petal and it died / I used to be an ostrich in disguise / I turned into an owl, now I fly”).

And that’s just the first song; the next three tracks dissect and randomly reassemble the 60s harmony pop of The Beach Boys and The Zombies, starting with breathy vocals and adding, let’s say, a bridge with guitar riffs that sound like early-70s Yes (“Cross the USA”), or a string arrangement that feels like the backing track of a Buddy Holly love ballad (“Promethean Eyes”). Then there’s “Something on Sherbrooke,” which begins with bouncy piano chords before moving into a bridge with atonal strings that swoop up and down the scale, bursts of flute and “heyyy yeeeah” backing vocals that seem deliberately slightly off-time and off-key.


By far the strangest track, “The Breezes” begins with a heavy hip-hop beat, multiple synthesizers, and vocals that switch between spoken passages, “smooth” singing, and heavily processed vocoder. The song is obviously a tongue-in-cheek nod to modern radio pop, and while it still sounds strange in the context of this album, at 6:09 it’s far longer than anything on the radio (or on the album, for that matter), and slowly evolves into a relaxed, atmospheric and vocal-free second half that doesn’t seem so out of place. It’s followed by the album’s shortest track, “The Mission,” which—despite its short 1:14 running time—is the closest thing to a “conventional” guitar-pop tune here.

Other odd tracks include “Owed to a Nightingale,” a strange song with shifting tempos, arpeggiated piano and half-sung half-spoken vocals. Finally there’s closer “Warm Wind,” the first half of which is the aural equivalent of laying on a tropical island beach, with calm electric guitar and singing interspersed with “waves” of cymbals, flutes and backing vocals. Half way through, the track turns into a slow, hypnotic coda for the album as a whole, fading out with the same guitar line and lyric as the first half (“Warm wind / Don’t cry / I left / Your side”) repeating over a steady beat and hazy backing vocals.

The Breezes is one of those albums that’s hard to describe—there’s so much going on that it’s hard to sum up individual songs, let alone the whole record. Chances are everyone will find something to enjoy here, and if you like bands that constantly challenge your expectations, you’ll probably find that The Breezes fulfill that role pretty well.

Key Tracks: “On Again”, “Sarah”, “The Breezes”, “Warm Wind”

Artists With Similar Fire: Todd Rundgren / The Olivia Tremor Control / late-60s Beach Boys

The Breezes Website
The Breezes Facebook

-Reviewed by Simon Workman - The Firenote Online Music Magazine

Being relatively new to this city, this was in fact my first time going to a show at La Sala Rossa. What a great venue. From the classic red curtains on the stage to the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, this place just has an overall great vibe. A perfect setting for the night that was to come.

Photo Credit: Chris Kralik
The first opening act hits the stage. The lights dim, the house music shuts off and the audience is instantly pulled in by the ambient, electro sounds of Suite. The set was full of mellow and soulful tracks as well as some upbeat, get your ass on the dance floor songs. All the while, being accompanied by some low vocals engulfed in reverb. It was an entertaining start to the evening, and definitely got the audience warmed up.
The second act on the bill, CFCF. Basically a one man army of carefully coordinated loops. The first song blew me away. It started out with a looped acoustic guitar riff then followed by some synth and various other sounds that gradually started to fill the song out. There was also some captivating videos being projected onto a screen behind him which definitely added some emotion to the performance. Overall great performance, minus a few technical difficulties with some crackling noise coming through the PA. But that happens to the best of us. CFCF handled it like a pro and kept the show rolling!
Anticipation fills the room as the crowd moves in close to the stage. The band everyone is here to see are about to hit the stage. The Breezes casually come on stage, plug in their guitars and turn on their amps, the stage lights up and the show is about to begin. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists, Daniel Leznoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold alongside bassist Matthew Oppenheimer and drummer Johnny Knowles. I was immediately drawn in by all of the hollow bodied guitars and their classic clean tone. I love the style these guys have going on, very 1960's esque surf rock mixed with elements of pop and psychedelic rock. The first song they played ” Promethean Eyes ” , had a feel good vibe to it, very mellow and accompanied by a violinist and a cellist. I was singing along by the second chorus on this one! Not to mention the 3 part harmonies were spot on. Another great thing about this band is that all three singers in the band exchange doing the lead vocals from song to song. It definitely keeps the listener on their toes and I love when a band can showcase more than one lead vocalist! The bassist kept the crowd moving all night not only with his funky bass lines but he didn’t stop dancing the entire set! Its not an easy task to hold down the rhythm section while trying to dance at the same time, this guy made it look easy!

Photo Credit: Adam Geraldi
It was a short set but extremely entertaining none the less. The stage performance was top notch, the music was tight and each song flowed seamlessly into the next. But what can you expect? Their debut Lp which they released on Dec. 4 has been in the making for three years now. It was very easy to tell that these guys are passionate about their music and it’s about time all of their hard work starts to pay off. I strongly recommend checking these guys out and picking up a copy of their self titled LP.
All in all, it was a great night. The opening bands opened my eye’s to a new genre of music while The Breezes reminded while I got into music in the first place! - The Radio Station

Being relatively new to this city, this was in fact my first time going to a show at La Sala Rossa. What a great venue. From the classic red curtains on the stage to the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, this place just has an overall great vibe. A perfect setting for the night that was to come.

Photo Credit: Chris Kralik
The first opening act hits the stage. The lights dim, the house music shuts off and the audience is instantly pulled in by the ambient, electro sounds of Suite. The set was full of mellow and soulful tracks as well as some upbeat, get your ass on the dance floor songs. All the while, being accompanied by some low vocals engulfed in reverb. It was an entertaining start to the evening, and definitely got the audience warmed up.
The second act on the bill, CFCF. Basically a one man army of carefully coordinated loops. The first song blew me away. It started out with a looped acoustic guitar riff then followed by some synth and various other sounds that gradually started to fill the song out. There was also some captivating videos being projected onto a screen behind him which definitely added some emotion to the performance. Overall great performance, minus a few technical difficulties with some crackling noise coming through the PA. But that happens to the best of us. CFCF handled it like a pro and kept the show rolling!
Anticipation fills the room as the crowd moves in close to the stage. The band everyone is here to see are about to hit the stage. The Breezes casually come on stage, plug in their guitars and turn on their amps, the stage lights up and the show is about to begin. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists, Daniel Leznoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold alongside bassist Matthew Oppenheimer and drummer Johnny Knowles. I was immediately drawn in by all of the hollow bodied guitars and their classic clean tone. I love the style these guys have going on, very 1960's esque surf rock mixed with elements of pop and psychedelic rock. The first song they played ” Promethean Eyes ” , had a feel good vibe to it, very mellow and accompanied by a violinist and a cellist. I was singing along by the second chorus on this one! Not to mention the 3 part harmonies were spot on. Another great thing about this band is that all three singers in the band exchange doing the lead vocals from song to song. It definitely keeps the listener on their toes and I love when a band can showcase more than one lead vocalist! The bassist kept the crowd moving all night not only with his funky bass lines but he didn’t stop dancing the entire set! Its not an easy task to hold down the rhythm section while trying to dance at the same time, this guy made it look easy!

Photo Credit: Adam Geraldi
It was a short set but extremely entertaining none the less. The stage performance was top notch, the music was tight and each song flowed seamlessly into the next. But what can you expect? Their debut Lp which they released on Dec. 4 has been in the making for three years now. It was very easy to tell that these guys are passionate about their music and it’s about time all of their hard work starts to pay off. I strongly recommend checking these guys out and picking up a copy of their self titled LP.
All in all, it was a great night. The opening bands opened my eye’s to a new genre of music while The Breezes reminded while I got into music in the first place! - The Radio Station

The Breezes' James Benjamin might be the nicest person on the planet.

When he talks to you, head cocked to one side, he listens intently, hardly blinking. He's got giant brown eyes - and on Tuesday night at Sala Rossa - a perpetual smile. After three years of performances, tours, and laborious mastering, Benjamin and bandmates Jeremy Cantor, Matthew Oppenheimer, Daniel Leznoff, and Adam Feingold officially launched their debut album.

After two contemplative sets from Suite and CFCF,everyone talked in low tones. The mood felt dreamy and warm under the Sala chandeliers. The occasion assembled a variety of fans across different Montreal scenes, plus a sprinkle of parents and siblings. The Breezes' ability to bring together such a diverse crowd is a marriage of two important factors. First, their music is great. Beautiful, accessible, and well-built, it can be appreciated no matter your musical preference. And secondly, because these guys are so damn nice. Benjamin, who is also co-owner and sound engineer at Breakglass Studios, is thoughtful and attentive in everything he does. He took care to circle the room before taking the stage, talking to each friend and family member. This sincerity manifests in his music, his stage presence, and the shared energy in the room.

"I draw a lot of energy from the crowd. I looked out tonight and saw they were with me. It made me jump around more, strum the guitar harder. We really worked hard to prepare for this performance. It felt really important to us," he said.

On stage The Breezes were bubbly and smiley, exchanging nods and winks. They stopped to thank the audience profusely after each song. Their set was short - "Last one? You're kidding me!" a fan cried - but dense in sound and energy. Benjamin and Feingold jockied between the keys, synth, guitar and vocals. Their live sound was beautifully balanced, always leaving enough room for each element. As a listener, I really appreciated the time to relish each musician's contribution, before they stepped back into the round cohesive sound. The Breezes conjure an archetypal rock n' roll that feels familiar and warm - but is just weird and quirky enough to be continually surprising.

"We define it as 'psychedelic rock for now' because it takes advantage of all the opportunities you have a modern studio, with modern instruments and modern concepts," Benjamin said. "We're not living in the past, but there's no question that the music has a classic sound. We're informed by that classic era of rock n' roll, but we're not pretending that we don't live in the year 2012."

The band has been working on the album since 2009. Between touring, day jobs, and James' prolific work at Breakglass, the band cobbled together studio hours in their rare downtime. Three years of anticipation must be a lot of pressure? Benjamin disagreed. "I would call it more relief," he said. "It feels really good to get it off our chests. Now we can move forward from here." - Midnight Poutine

The Breezes' James Benjamin might be the nicest person on the planet.

When he talks to you, head cocked to one side, he listens intently, hardly blinking. He's got giant brown eyes - and on Tuesday night at Sala Rossa - a perpetual smile. After three years of performances, tours, and laborious mastering, Benjamin and bandmates Jeremy Cantor, Matthew Oppenheimer, Daniel Leznoff, and Adam Feingold officially launched their debut album.

After two contemplative sets from Suite and CFCF,everyone talked in low tones. The mood felt dreamy and warm under the Sala chandeliers. The occasion assembled a variety of fans across different Montreal scenes, plus a sprinkle of parents and siblings. The Breezes' ability to bring together such a diverse crowd is a marriage of two important factors. First, their music is great. Beautiful, accessible, and well-built, it can be appreciated no matter your musical preference. And secondly, because these guys are so damn nice. Benjamin, who is also co-owner and sound engineer at Breakglass Studios, is thoughtful and attentive in everything he does. He took care to circle the room before taking the stage, talking to each friend and family member. This sincerity manifests in his music, his stage presence, and the shared energy in the room.

"I draw a lot of energy from the crowd. I looked out tonight and saw they were with me. It made me jump around more, strum the guitar harder. We really worked hard to prepare for this performance. It felt really important to us," he said.

On stage The Breezes were bubbly and smiley, exchanging nods and winks. They stopped to thank the audience profusely after each song. Their set was short - "Last one? You're kidding me!" a fan cried - but dense in sound and energy. Benjamin and Feingold jockied between the keys, synth, guitar and vocals. Their live sound was beautifully balanced, always leaving enough room for each element. As a listener, I really appreciated the time to relish each musician's contribution, before they stepped back into the round cohesive sound. The Breezes conjure an archetypal rock n' roll that feels familiar and warm - but is just weird and quirky enough to be continually surprising.

"We define it as 'psychedelic rock for now' because it takes advantage of all the opportunities you have a modern studio, with modern instruments and modern concepts," Benjamin said. "We're not living in the past, but there's no question that the music has a classic sound. We're informed by that classic era of rock n' roll, but we're not pretending that we don't live in the year 2012."

The band has been working on the album since 2009. Between touring, day jobs, and James' prolific work at Breakglass, the band cobbled together studio hours in their rare downtime. Three years of anticipation must be a lot of pressure? Benjamin disagreed. "I would call it more relief," he said. "It feels really good to get it off our chests. Now we can move forward from here." - Midnight Poutine

Voilà un moment qu'on suit le quatuor local, formé d'anciens membres des Golden Isles et des Lovely Feathers. Si on a longtemps cru qu'il manquait quelque chose à sa vision pop, ce trou semble avoir été bel et bien comblé. À la fougue et la fantaisie ont maintes fois démontrées sur quatre EP lancés en 2010 et 2011, le groupe rajoute ici les mélodies et les arrangements de qualité. On ne réinvente pas la roue – The Breezes est un album pop, point. Le ton est léger, voire cabotin, les voix sont placées bien au devant, mais les astuces n'en demeurent pas moins nombreuses. De la pop à la Burt Bacharach de Sarah à la mouture plus actuelle, quasi Animal Collective de Cross the USA, en passant par l'électro teinté de R&B de The Breezes, le folk cosmique, très M Ward de Owed to a Nightingale et le salut aux Beach Boys de Mission, les climats visités sont nombreux, mais toujours bordés d'une touche psychédélique agréablement brouillonne. The Breezes signe un premier album varié, amusant et adroit. - Nightlife

Ils s'énervent depuis quelques années déjà et pourtant, les gars de The Breezes ne comptaient nécessairement pas parmi les chouchous de la scène locale avant de lancer leur sensuel premier clip, la semaine dernière. Qu'est-ce qui est allé de travers?

Un problème de repère, peut-être. Ils ont beau avoir maintenu une présence constante sur les planches locales, canadiennes et américaines, ils ne se sont pas nécessairement aidés en alternant entre les styles. Trois premiers EP gratuits lancés via leur site, en 2010, suggéraient un son pop-rock léger, vaguement funky, teinté d'influences indie, rétro et soul.

Puis, un quatrième EP, Update My High (2011), a bifurqué vers l'électro et le hip-hop. Rendu là, on ne savait plus trop à quel genre associer The Breezes.

D'un coup à l'autre, on a par ailleurs perçu de belles envies pop dans ce groupe qui comprend d'anciens membres des Golden Isles (le chanteur Adam Feingold) et des Lovely Feathers (le batteur James Benjamin), mais aussi beaucoup d'humour. The Breezes était-il une affaire sérieuse ou une grosse blague de collégiens du West Island?

Tant de questions qui trouvent maintenant réponse dans un premier album homonyme paru le 4 décembre. Autoproduit sur trois ans aux studios Breakglass, dont Benjamin est copropriétaire, The Breezes affiche une vision pop nettement plus claire, assumée et peaufinée. Les élans pop, indie, folk, soul et électro du groupe y sont fondus dans un bloc psychédélique étonnamment homogène. Genre Fleetwood Mac meets Tame Impala. Légèreté il y a toujours, mais déclinée désormais avec une habileté certaine.

C'est donc un groupe nettement plus mûr qui montera sur scène ce mardi pour souligner le lancement de l'opus. À surveiller prochainement: une de ses pièces en trame sonore d'un film mettant en vedette Parker Posey. - Nightlife

If you’re someone who dabbles in the Montreal music scene, takes in the occasional show, or makes it a point to hit up POP Montreal every year, then chances are you’ve seen The Breezes around town. Comprised of James Benjamin, Danny Leznoff, Adam Feingold, Matt Oppenheimer and Remy Dylan (their most recent addition), this psychedelic indie band was born and bred in Montreal. The Breezes started out as just a few friends jamming out at Breakglass Studios (part-owned by Benjamin) and they’re now ready to unleash their first-ever LP, recorded in the very spot where the band was born. We caught up with the boys of The Breezes to get the lowdown on their beloved city:


Photo courtesy of The Breezes
What’s your favourite neighbourhood in Montreal?
Adam: Chinatown is my hood. I’ve been going there for so many years and I’m still discovering new amazing things. One day I will know all of its secrets, and then I can die a happy man.
Matt: Favourite hood has to be Downtown/City Centre. Did you know that there is an UNDERGROUND SHOPPING MALL open all year round!
Danny: TMR, it’s like nowhere else in town. Seems to have been “copy/pasted” into the middle of the island.
James: Obvious answer: Mile End.
Remy: The Plateau. Diversity, culture, the people, restaurants, food and nightlife.

Do you have a favourite street?
Adam: David Lewis.
Matt: Steyning. Google it.
Danny: Sherbrooke. Longest street in town, it’ll take you far if you ride it right. Also the inspiration for our song “Something On Sherbrooke.”
James: Bernard… home.
Remy: Remembrance Road.

What’s your favourite venue in the city?
Adam: Zoobizarre, now called CFC, is still my favorite spot. La Elastica is rad too.
Matt: Favorite venue would be Les Trois Minots for the intimacy and karaoke.
Danny: Favourite active venue: Sala Rossa. Venues I miss: Spectrum, L’X, Rainbow, Medley.
James: Metropolis, scene of the crime of our biggest show yet.
Remy: Sala Rossa!

Where do you get your caffeine fix?
Adam: When I drink coffee I go to Sardine or Boris.
Matt: Timmy Ho’s.
Danny: EM Cafe, Depanneur, Zosha, Navarino.
James: Cafe Social all day.
Remy: I get it from Union.


Photo courtesy of The Breezes
Best DJ night in Montreal?
Adam: Best DJ night is Holy Funk, which happens every Wednesday at Korova.
Matt: Wednesday is my night to hit the town with Holy Funk at Korova and Thomas Von Party at Royal Phoenix.
Danny: Wherever BJ, Thomas von Party, Tiga, Mike Mind, Alexis or Jurg is DJing.
James: CFCF gets around and I like to be there when it happens.
Remy: Holy Funk!

Favourite local bands?
Adam: Dep Run, Karn, Small Teeth, Tops, Camp, Honeymoon.
Matt: Sean Nicholas Savage, Blue Hawaii, Golden Isles.
Danny: I get excited about Lunice, The Besnard Lakes, and Human Human. I miss The Sainte Catherines, Think About Life and Golden Isles.
James: Braids, Radio Radio, Purity Ring off the top of my head.
Remy: CFCF and Suite.

Which Montreal event or festival do you make it a point to be at?
Adam: Henceforth, Mutek.
Matt: For sure Osheaga and POP, Blue Metropolis rocks, Fantasia Film Fest.
Danny: POP Montreal gave birth to The Breezes so them, but lately we’ve also been playing Suoni Per Il Popolo shows, and that festival’s vibe blows us away. Of course the Jazz Fest as well.
James: POP Montreal is special to us (our first show), Suoni for sure, but seeing Prince at the Jazz Fest was one for the books.
Remy: Piknik Electronique.

What are you listening to right now?
Adam: I’m listening to Marcos Vale, Le Son’y Ra, and R.Kelly’s “Love Letter”.
Matt: Lonerism by Tame Impala on non-stop repeat
Danny: Right this second? Goldie Loc from Tha Eastsidaz. Greatest song I heard this week was “Nicole” by Ramsey Lewis.
James: Cemeteries. Ellie Goulding. The new Solange. Shrines by Purity Ring.
Remy: Steely Dan.


Photo coutesy of The Breezes
Favourite restaurant(s) in the city?
Adam: Ramen-ya, El Ray Del Taco, Pho Tae Ho, V.I.P, Kam Fung.
Matt: Chez Claudette for their cheeseburger.
Danny: Shoutout to Tachido and Queen Sushi!
James: I’m always at Pickup. They should name a sandwich after me.
Remy: Hoang Oanh Sandwich.

Any musical guilty pleasures?
Adam: From an external perspective, I think Alessi Brothers and Doobie Brothers could be considered guilty pleasures. Too bad, boat rock could really heal the world.
Matt: Gangnam Style, but not even really guilty about that. I should be though.
Danny: “We Fit Together” by O-Town.
James: Lana Del Rey.
Remy: I don’t feel guilty about anything I listen to. If I like it then it’s good!

Catch The Breezes tomorrow night at La Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent) for their record launch! Click here to buy your tickets. - Montreal Gazette - Urban Expressions

Tomorrow night, The Breezes are bringing their mellow, washed out, hooky, and ultimately awesome vibes to Sala Rossa for the release of their debut self-titled LP. Take a look at the event page here and watch the video for the album track Promethean Eyes below. This is not a night to miss! - Midnight Poutine

Tomorrow night, The Breezes are bringing their mellow, washed out, hooky, and ultimately awesome vibes to Sala Rossa for the release of their debut self-titled LP. Take a look at the event page here and watch the video for the album track Promethean Eyes below. This is not a night to miss! - Midnight Poutine

In these modern times, where brevity and economy are king, is releasing a meticulously arranged and produced studio recording considered going against the grain? The Breezes have been lurking along the edges of the local music scene since 2006, so it’s not surprising that in the making of their long-gestating debut full-length, which finally comes out tomorrow, no sonic expense was spared.
So where have they been hiding? At Breakglass Studios, mostly, albeit in the form of extended, educational hangouts peppered with intermittent spurts of recording time. One of the group’s three main songwriters, James Benjamin, is one of the in-demand studio’s co-owners, but even that didn’t mean having all the time in the world to fiddle about. The place was, and remains, booked solid, so The Breezes was recorded in one month in Aug. 2008 and at various points in 2010 and 2011.
“We would come in for a day and not be able to finish it, and then come in another day. We’d wait for openings,” recalls Daniel Leznoff over brews in the commons area of the studio, which is outfitted with a terrific collection of NES games. “A lot of stuff would be unfinished. We’d come in, record, and it would be great, but it wouldn’t be until a year later where we would be able to add strings. We had to build everything piece by piece.”
“Because we knew we didn’t have a lot of time,” adds Benjamin, “the sessions had a bit of added excitement. It was fun, having to get those songs out of us.”
True to their moniker, the record is brisk, warm and easygoing. It harkens back to the lush psychedelic-pop recordings of yesteryear, and while studio techniques like Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound were certainly an influence, Benjamin recently did work at Breakglass on albums by very modern outfits like Purity Ring and CFCF, and they too provided him with insights on how to approach his own work.
“What’s currently in style in terms of mixing is to choose particular frequencies and really push those forward to create a sound that stands alone,” says Benjamin. “The wall of sound is about having it all come up together. At times, I’m trying to take from both.
“It’s a different era economically now in the studio; almost no one can afford to spend a month in the studio, so it’s important to take what is fantastic about the studio, what’s fantastic about your set-up at home, and combine them.”
Leznoff provides a good example of how to bridge this divide: at home, he’s prolific with GarageBand, but in the case of the album, everything was made in the studio, from conception to recording to mixing.
“We [himself, Benjamin and Adam Feingold] do stuff on our own, separately, then we get together and fill everything out as a group,” explains Leznoff. “You could say we’re separate songwriters existing as a band, and you could look at this as a compilation, although I haven’t thought about it like that until now.”
The three songwriters (the group’s fourth member is Matthew Oppenheimer) have their own distinct styles within the loose, summery pop framework, but it’s Benjamin’s mixing expertise that ties everything together. So in order to receive the full, panoramic Breezes experience, one might want to break out the fancy headphones.
“They’re pop songs, they’re catchy, and if you listen to them once, that’s cool,” says Benjamin. “But there are little touches — whether on the right or the left, or panning all the way over, or a sound that just appears on the record for a second. A lot of thought went into it; we wanted something we hope has lasting power because it’s more thought-out in scope.”
Adds Leznoff: “This record is very handmade; it’s a band album.” ¦ - CULTmtl

The Breezes est le groupe du chanteur James Benjamin, coproprietaire du Breakglass Studios. Mardi, le groupe lance son premier album. Sur la chanson Promethean Eyes, les arrangements sont a la fois melodiques et melancoliques (un peu a la Jens Lekman) avec une modernite indie-rock dans les guitares et un classicisme dans les cordes. La creativite est de mise d'une chanson a l'autre dans l'instrumentation (a la fois electro et organique), mais les melodies suivent une ligne tres classic rock. Reussi! - La Presse

Montreal band The Breezes launches their debut album this week and a winter wonderland at Botanical Gardens. Chantal Desjardins reports.

Read more: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/what-s-on-the-breezes-and-the-botanical-gardens-1.1071916#ixzz2HKcBAc6Z - CTV news

On Tuesday December 11, Rock and swoon to the electro-orchestral-tinged sound of The Breezes, with Montreal’s CFCF at Sala Rossa. - The Montreal Buzz

On Tuesday December 11, Rock and swoon to the electro-orchestral-tinged sound of The Breezes, with Montreal’s CFCF at Sala Rossa. - The Montreal Buzz

On Tuesday December 11, Rock and swoon to the electro-orchestral-tinged sound of The Breezes, with Montreal’s CFCF at Sala Rossa. - The Montreal Buzz

Le jeune groupe montréalais The Breezes débarque avec la vidéo de son dernier single: «Promethean Eyes». Lumière sur une brise artistique et poétique faussement angélique!

Du rock psyché, The Breezes sait nous en donner et honnêtement on aime ça. La douceur poétique de «Promethean Eyes» envoûte et apaise l’esprit. Ainsi quoi de plus normal pour le jeune et talentueux réalisateur de la vidéo, Sean Michael Pheanis, de nous transmettre un message sombre, langoureux et sexuel.

Produit par Vision Vault, voici une vidéo artistiquement impeccable où chaque détail joue un rôle fondamental. À la manière de Prométhée, The Breezes nous dévoile un secret visuel bien gardé, que seuls des yeux avertis ne sauraient regarder. Après, qui sait quel tourment infini subirez-vous au visionnement de ce plaisir inavoué...

Au-delà du simple coté visuel, la musique contraste, interpelle et laisse planer dans l’atmosphère une osmose légère qui nous rassure. Merci The Breezes pour ce titre, on attend déjà la suite avec impatience.

Nous aurons d'ailleurs le plaisir de les retrouver, mardi 11 décembre prochain à La Sala Rossa pour le lancement de leur premier album. See you there ! - Nightlife

Montreal band the Breezes have been kicking around for a few years now, and they're ready to independently released their debut full-length. The self-titled album will be released on CD, vinyl and as a digital download on December 11.

A press release notes that this record expands on classic pop formula and marks a departure from the band's druggy past works. It was record at Montreal's Breakglass Studios and mixed by band member James Benjamin, who has also lent his studio talents to Purity Ring and CFCF.

The album is reportedly "a melodic, rich and robust group of songs, sprinkled with layers of vocal harmonies" and builds upon jangling guitars, catchy melodies and mellow turns.

For a taste of the record's tuneful sound, watch a video for narcotically chilled-out album cut "Promethean Eyes" below. The video is a little on the NSFW side, as you'll see a girl showering before getting in bed with a guy while wearing a leather outfit and indulging in some wax play.

The Breezes will launch the album with a December 11 show at La Sala Rossa in Montreal with CFCF and Suite. - Exclaim

Montreal band the Breezes have been kicking around for a few years now, and they're ready to independently released their debut full-length. The self-titled album will be released on CD, vinyl and as a digital download on December 11.

A press release notes that this record expands on classic pop formula and marks a departure from the band's druggy past works. It was record at Montreal's Breakglass Studios and mixed by band member James Benjamin, who has also lent his studio talents to Purity Ring and CFCF.

The album is reportedly "a melodic, rich and robust group of songs, sprinkled with layers of vocal harmonies" and builds upon jangling guitars, catchy melodies and mellow turns.

For a taste of the record's tuneful sound, watch a video for narcotically chilled-out album cut "Promethean Eyes" below. The video is a little on the NSFW side, as you'll see a girl showering before getting in bed with a guy while wearing a leather outfit and indulging in some wax play.

The Breezes will launch the album with a December 11 show at La Sala Rossa in Montreal with CFCF and Suite. - Exclaim

a formation indie rock montréalaise The Breezes dévoile finalement son premier album homonyme. Finalement, car le quatuor peaufine sa pop planante, tantôt saccharinée, tantôt psychédélique, depuis trois années déjà. Bien que galvaudée, l’étiquette «brianwilsonesque» colle au travail de ce groupe profitant d’une visibilité enviable – quelques publications se sont penchées sur cet épiphénomène de la fameuse scène musicale indé locale, comme le site Web Daytrotter et le magazine britannique Dazed & Confused. Le lancement se tiendra le 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa en compagnie de Suite, un nouveau projet mené par Patrick Boivin et Mike «CFCF» Silver. (A. Péloquin) - Voir

a formation indie rock montréalaise The Breezes dévoile finalement son premier album homonyme. Finalement, car le quatuor peaufine sa pop planante, tantôt saccharinée, tantôt psychédélique, depuis trois années déjà. Bien que galvaudée, l’étiquette «brianwilsonesque» colle au travail de ce groupe profitant d’une visibilité enviable – quelques publications se sont penchées sur cet épiphénomène de la fameuse scène musicale indé locale, comme le site Web Daytrotter et le magazine britannique Dazed & Confused. Le lancement se tiendra le 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa en compagnie de Suite, un nouveau projet mené par Patrick Boivin et Mike «CFCF» Silver. (A. Péloquin) - Voir

The Breezes lanceront un premier album éponyme le mardi 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa.

CFCF et Suite seront également de la partie, ce qui range automatiquement l’événement au chapitre des incontournables. Ne manquez pas votre chance de voir The Breezes se produire live avant la fin du monde. AUCUNE EXCUSE NE SERA TOLÉRÉE! - Nouvelles de Montréal

The Breezes lanceront un premier album éponyme le mardi 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa.

CFCF et Suite seront également de la partie, ce qui range automatiquement l’événement au chapitre des incontournables. Ne manquez pas votre chance de voir The Breezes se produire live avant la fin du monde. AUCUNE EXCUSE NE SERA TOLÉRÉE! - Nouvelles de Montréal

Listen to Montreal band The Breezes - CJAD

Listen to Montreal band The Breezes - CJAD

Sometimes it takes the right environment to push a band to their full potential; to gain the inspiration to flesh a project from fun with friends to something they want the world to hear.

For The Breezes, that place is Breakglass Studio.

“It’s a really special place, it’s formative for The Breezes for sure,” said James Benjamin, singer/multi-instrumentalist for the local psychedelic indie group. “When we first went to Breakglass, it was just me and [singer/guitarist] Danny [Leznoff]. Right away there was a kind of magic to it.”

Benjamin loved the studio so much that he became an owner. With co-owners Dave Smith and the Besnard Lakes’ Jace Lasek as mentors, Benjamin grew as a producer and sound engineer in the three years it took to complete The Breezes’ self-titled debut LP.

With bands big and small regularly passing through Breakglass, his work there is a constant learning experience and one that has been instrumental in The Breezes’ evolution. This year, some notable projects he’s worked on include Purity Ring, Stars and just recently, Arcade Fire.

With access to a studio that hosts some of the city’s heavyweights, Benjamin and company had the opportunity to do something much more ambitious than the bedroom recording experiments that made up the band’s previous release, Update My High, tracked in Benjamin and bandmate Adam Feingold’s old St. Urbain St. apartment.

“A lot of the stuff you’re hearing coming out of Montreal is DIY, low-key production, the idea of the production is to have that DIY aspect to it,” said Benjamin.

“I find this record is refreshing because it’s not like that, this is a studio record. We thought a lot about every sound on there, and when the mixing time came around they were done on this incredible Neve console, that is one of the greatest sounding consoles in the world.”

The Neve is the Breakglass pride and joy, and a piece of history—Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti was recorded on it.

All that hi-fi care on The Breezes is most evident when the strings come in, giving off a rich, Motown-esque vibe on a couple tracks, notably the retro-wave “Promethean Eyes.”

“They were recorded using a super cool, old-school microphone technique,” said Benjamin. “We used these awesome Coles ribbon mics, and those are classic for recording strings, they’re really dark and rich.”



The record shows some of the many faces of The Breezes, just short of a jukebox of contemporary indie sounds with chilled-out, synth-driven tracks, Beach Boys-emulating straight pop tunes, and a bit of intentionally sloppy indie rock.

At times there’s even a Radio Radio-like sense of humour, a band they opened for at Metropolis last year for their biggest show to date.

“When we were on tour, somebody told us we were The Clash meets Beach Boys, and I never forgot that. I thought it was a pretty hilarious combination of sounds,” said Benjamin.

“In some ways The Breezes is a best-of record. We have an enormous bulk of songs, but we really chose the ones that would be the best premiere for us, what we hope is sort of a unified, almost quality-controlled record.”

Their varied sound is due to Benjamin, Leznoff and Feingold all sharing songwriting duties equally, fleshing out their songs together during the recording process.

Now that the debut LP is completed, the band is wrapping up the business side of things, including independently distributing the record across North America and Europe. They’re able to pull it off because of the connections they’ve made over the years, the European distro being taken care of by an old friend of Benjamin’s living in Amsterdam.

“Through Breakglass I work with all kinds of different bands, big bands and small bands, so I’ve gotten to see what works and what doesn’t,” said Benjamin, referring to the daunting task of releasing a record without label support.

The band is expecting the newly pressed vinyl edition of the record to arrive any day now, which will be available at their album release concert next week at La Sala Rossa—a show that will feature guest performances and live strings.

Their vinyl is being shipped from the Czech Republic by custom manufacturer Pirate Press. While LPs have witnessed a renaissance over the last few years, there’s not yet a closer vinyl pressing company with the band’s desired intersection of price and quality.

Until the show at Sala, The Breezes are setting the stage for the new release.

“You’ll be seeing The Breezes popping up all over town in the next week or two,” said Benjamin. “We’re going to see just how far we can go with it.” - The Link

Sometimes it takes the right environment to push a band to their full potential; to gain the inspiration to flesh a project from fun with friends to something they want the world to hear.

For The Breezes, that place is Breakglass Studio.

“It’s a really special place, it’s formative for The Breezes for sure,” said James Benjamin, singer/multi-instrumentalist for the local psychedelic indie group. “When we first went to Breakglass, it was just me and [singer/guitarist] Danny [Leznoff]. Right away there was a kind of magic to it.”

Benjamin loved the studio so much that he became an owner. With co-owners Dave Smith and the Besnard Lakes’ Jace Lasek as mentors, Benjamin grew as a producer and sound engineer in the three years it took to complete The Breezes’ self-titled debut LP.

With bands big and small regularly passing through Breakglass, his work there is a constant learning experience and one that has been instrumental in The Breezes’ evolution. This year, some notable projects he’s worked on include Purity Ring, Stars and just recently, Arcade Fire.

With access to a studio that hosts some of the city’s heavyweights, Benjamin and company had the opportunity to do something much more ambitious than the bedroom recording experiments that made up the band’s previous release, Update My High, tracked in Benjamin and bandmate Adam Feingold’s old St. Urbain St. apartment.

“A lot of the stuff you’re hearing coming out of Montreal is DIY, low-key production, the idea of the production is to have that DIY aspect to it,” said Benjamin.

“I find this record is refreshing because it’s not like that, this is a studio record. We thought a lot about every sound on there, and when the mixing time came around they were done on this incredible Neve console, that is one of the greatest sounding consoles in the world.”

The Neve is the Breakglass pride and joy, and a piece of history—Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti was recorded on it.

All that hi-fi care on The Breezes is most evident when the strings come in, giving off a rich, Motown-esque vibe on a couple tracks, notably the retro-wave “Promethean Eyes.”

“They were recorded using a super cool, old-school microphone technique,” said Benjamin. “We used these awesome Coles ribbon mics, and those are classic for recording strings, they’re really dark and rich.”



The record shows some of the many faces of The Breezes, just short of a jukebox of contemporary indie sounds with chilled-out, synth-driven tracks, Beach Boys-emulating straight pop tunes, and a bit of intentionally sloppy indie rock.

At times there’s even a Radio Radio-like sense of humour, a band they opened for at Metropolis last year for their biggest show to date.

“When we were on tour, somebody told us we were The Clash meets Beach Boys, and I never forgot that. I thought it was a pretty hilarious combination of sounds,” said Benjamin.

“In some ways The Breezes is a best-of record. We have an enormous bulk of songs, but we really chose the ones that would be the best premiere for us, what we hope is sort of a unified, almost quality-controlled record.”

Their varied sound is due to Benjamin, Leznoff and Feingold all sharing songwriting duties equally, fleshing out their songs together during the recording process.

Now that the debut LP is completed, the band is wrapping up the business side of things, including independently distributing the record across North America and Europe. They’re able to pull it off because of the connections they’ve made over the years, the European distro being taken care of by an old friend of Benjamin’s living in Amsterdam.

“Through Breakglass I work with all kinds of different bands, big bands and small bands, so I’ve gotten to see what works and what doesn’t,” said Benjamin, referring to the daunting task of releasing a record without label support.

The band is expecting the newly pressed vinyl edition of the record to arrive any day now, which will be available at their album release concert next week at La Sala Rossa—a show that will feature guest performances and live strings.

Their vinyl is being shipped from the Czech Republic by custom manufacturer Pirate Press. While LPs have witnessed a renaissance over the last few years, there’s not yet a closer vinyl pressing company with the band’s desired intersection of price and quality.

Until the show at Sala, The Breezes are setting the stage for the new release.

“You’ll be seeing The Breezes popping up all over town in the next week or two,” said Benjamin. “We’re going to see just how far we can go with it.” - The Link

Face à la prédiction Maya, THE BREEZES se rassemblera peut-être pour la dernière fois le mardi 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa et se laissera aller au nom de l’harmonie, du rythme et du plaisir.
Vu précédemment dans le prestigieux magazine Dazed & Confused et sur le site Daytrotter, THE BREEZES célébrera un premier album riche et mélodique et présentera un spectacle transcendant plein de surprises, à la fois émotionnel, sans prétention et extraordinaire. La soirée a été programmée pour offrir une ambiance spectaculaire et incarner un sentiment de réussite.
Des lancements d’albums se font peut-être souvent, mais trois ans fut le temps nécessaire pour que THE BREEZES orchestre son premier chef-d’oeuvre éponyme – et la musique ne manque pas d’éléments spectaculaires. Le sang, la sueur et les larmes se sont transformés en bourgeons, en profondeur et en peur, mais la lumière était toujours en vue. Le moment est maintenant venu et il est glorieux. - Quebec Spot Média

Face à la prédiction Maya, THE BREEZES se rassemblera peut-être pour la dernière fois le mardi 11 décembre à la Sala Rossa et se laissera aller au nom de l’harmonie, du rythme et du plaisir.
Vu précédemment dans le prestigieux magazine Dazed & Confused et sur le site Daytrotter, THE BREEZES célébrera un premier album riche et mélodique et présentera un spectacle transcendant plein de surprises, à la fois émotionnel, sans prétention et extraordinaire. La soirée a été programmée pour offrir une ambiance spectaculaire et incarner un sentiment de réussite.
Des lancements d’albums se font peut-être souvent, mais trois ans fut le temps nécessaire pour que THE BREEZES orchestre son premier chef-d’oeuvre éponyme – et la musique ne manque pas d’éléments spectaculaires. Le sang, la sueur et les larmes se sont transformés en bourgeons, en profondeur et en peur, mais la lumière était toujours en vue. Le moment est maintenant venu et il est glorieux. - Quebec Spot Média

I’ve been listening to a lot of experimental beat-music lately so a fresh-faced indie-pop band with a name that invokes the beach or summer is exactly what I needed. Luckily The Breezes are more than just typical lo-fi band with ‘Promethean Eyes’ showing off some serious songwriting chops from the group. ’Promethean Eyes’ recalls the glory days of indie orchestral-pop with swelling strings and even some saxophone towards the end. Of course the song still has the charm of a bedroom recording with nothing sounding overproduced or overdone. It’s just starting to get warm outside and ‘Promethean Eyes’ is the perfect song to get hipsters to embrace the coming sun. This track is the first taste of The Breezes’ self-titled album set to drop later this month. - The Up-Turn

Okay, lets say there was a film about warring mermaid tribes set in the 70s (all the mermaids have hugely pointed collars, real breasts, and huge Red Vine mustaches). The main characters are two star-crossed mermaid lovers from different sides of the track that meet at a mermaid kegger and fall totally in love and spend most of the movie trying to outsmart their white-bearded mermaid fathers so they can sneak away to the grotto and make mer-babies. The Breezes’ “Promethean Eyes” would be the soundtrack to that sneak away scene. Just picture it: two mermaids, freed from the shackles of their origins, tails flapping together in ecstasy, a shy look, a brushed hand, this song building in the background. Somebody send me a check for a million dollars, I’ve got a mermaid movie to make.

As of now this is the only track of theirs that I can find. Enjoy it. - Sound on the Sound

Okay, lets say there was a film about warring mermaid tribes set in the 70s (all the mermaids have hugely pointed collars, real breasts, and huge Red Vine mustaches). The main characters are two star-crossed mermaid lovers from different sides of the track that meet at a mermaid kegger and fall totally in love and spend most of the movie trying to outsmart their white-bearded mermaid fathers so they can sneak away to the grotto and make mer-babies. The Breezes’ “Promethean Eyes” would be the soundtrack to that sneak away scene. Just picture it: two mermaids, freed from the shackles of their origins, tails flapping together in ecstasy, a shy look, a brushed hand, this song building in the background. Somebody send me a check for a million dollars, I’ve got a mermaid movie to make.

As of now this is the only track of theirs that I can find. Enjoy it. - Sound on the Sound

Looking for a chill, slightly beachy lo-fi track for your listening pleasure?

Well, my friend, look no further than Promethean Eyes by The Breezes, a four-piece hailing from dear Montreal. Not much is known about these gentlemen. They played last year’s NXNE at Rancho Relaxo, and recently hit up Wrongbar for CMW in March. Promethean Eyes is the band’s first single from their upcoming release sometime this spring (TBA). If the rest of the album keeps with the same nodding, string accompanied relaxed vibe, you can bet I’ll be pocketing it at their next show.

RIYL: Jens Lekman (it’s violins that really do it for me), zoning out after a delicious home-cooked meal (yes, that’s what I happen to be doing right now) - Music Between Friends

Yesterday the homie Beachtapes tweeted a link to a band called The Breezes. I was immediately like, “Okay, this will either be very enjoyable or this will be some more crap I just got duped into listening to because their name reminds me of the waterfront.” Luckily for us all, “Promethean Eyes” is very enjoyable. It’s so spring and so smooth, with a totally non-offensive, light seventies vibe to it.

Here’s a cool idea, on the house: put this song on an ethereally themed Picnic Mix and go get someone pregnant with a well-packed basket full of cheap champagne and fine cheeses.

You’re welcome. - Weekly Tape Deck

The band that is causing the most excitement and buzz around the CMW showcase would have to be The Breezes. The happy go lucky quartet from Montreal knows what it takes to become known and heard in the scene. Since their inception, The Breezes have worked diligently to get you to listen to their well crafted music. Surrounding themselves with some of the best motivators,The Breezes have earned an important opening spot up this year’s showcase. The aura of the band is quite simple. It’s positive. FERNTV caught up with James Benjamin of The Breezes to see why this band makes everyone feel fine...

FERNTV: Tell us here at FERNTV how you all met and what would be the primary reason as to why The Breezes was formed?

James Benjamin: We've really all known each other for years and years. We have a weekly DJ night here in Montreal called Wildlife Wednesdays at the legendary and now defunct Coda Club, and then Wildlife Fridays at the currently equally defunct Le Bisou. Also, Me and Matt and Danny had a punkier rock band called Flesh Alliance for a couple of years back in the day. And we've been recording all kinds of music, predominantly at Breakglass Studios here in Montreal, since 2007.

The current incarnation of The Breezes dates back to Pop Montreal 2009. I applied with some of the material we'd recorded and Pop was very enthusiastic and so we put together the band as it currently is. In the year and a half since then we've played 30 odd shows, released a whole bunch of EPs, were named Mirror Noisemakers of 2011 and most recently and most exciting made it all the way to London into Dazed and Confused Magazine, where they reviewed our Experimental EP 'Update My High'

FERNTV: With the recent win of Arcade Fire in the Grammys this year, can you tell us what that does for a band like yourself?

JB: Well, there are two ways to answer that question. The short answer is that it doesn't really do much for us. The longer answer is that I personally think the Montreal music scene is about to enter a really good place right now. I mean I remember going to an Arcade Fire secret show in the basement of a church, and this was when the live debut of Neon Bible and that was so much fun. And if you look at how they've exploded since then, its really crazy. A lot of people would be confused by my saying that the Montreal music scene wasn't in such a good place for the past few years, but I really believe that to be the case. We had a pretty big explosion back when Arcade Fire were starting out, and there were other fresh bands like Wolf Parade, and The Unicorns who made a big splash, and since then things have gotten a little insular here if you know what I mean. But it feels really good right now in Montreal, and a lot of our friends are making big moves, great bands like Braids, and Suuns, have just gotten signed, and we're ready to make a move as well.

FERNTV: What do you think you learned the most about your first year being in the music industry?

JB: The most important thing to keep in mind all the time is that we LOVE what we do. We absolutely love making music and we're so blessed to be able to say that this is what we are trying to do as a career. The music business is a crazy place. Now more so then ever. There are just so many bands out there trying to be heard. Right now we're booking our first US tour for the spring/summer and its a similar experience. In a nutshell what I've learnt about the industry side of things is that just like with anything in life there are some really great people out there who are in it for the music and really ready to work for/with you when you've got a great product and you're willing to work work work. Like I said before we've been really lucky so far with some of the response we've gotten, but at the same time we've worked really hard to make things happen from the get go.

Do you think that trying to get the name of the band out there through social media gets better results when there are more people involved or does it really come to the music?

JB: Both of those above statements are true. You need to have, especially in the early stages of a band, everyone working together to spread the word. The quality of the music needs to be a given, otherwise you can be sure that you're in the wrong business.

FERNTV: When a band enters their sophomore year, what do you have to do different?

JB: We're just ready to move and thats it. I can't tell you exactly what's expected of us. We should be ready to drop our debut full length album this summer. We're very very excited about that because we're loving the songs. A lot of them are songs we're currently performing in our live show and they're sounding good and full these days. We're planning on doing a lot of touring. It was great to play a lot of shows in Montreal last year, but now its time for us to show The Breezes to the rest of the world. We made a great music video last year for Count to Eleven, - FernTV

Dazed Digital playlist featuring Radiohead, Toro-y-moi, D'Eon, Tyler The Creator, Metronomy, Guards, Kerogen, Jamie XX, AND The Breezes : 'Height' off of 'Update My High' - Dazed Digital

Arriving fashionably late, check out the new Dazed Digital playlist by music editor Tim Noakes. Featuring Tyler The Creator, Metronomy, Yuck, Star Slinger, Guards and many more! - Dazed Digital

Arriving fashionably late, check out the new Dazed Digital playlist by music editor Tim Noakes. Featuring Tyler The Creator, Metronomy, Yuck, Star Slinger, Guards and many more! - Dazed Digital

review of Update My High on page 200 of print edition - Dazed and Confused

Recently, Strictly Global held a contest through Sonicbids looking for the perfect indie video to kick off 2011, and Montreal's the Breezes were the clear winner with a poppy song and fun video centered around the number 11! James Benjamin (synths/drums/vocals), Adam Feingold (Guitar/vocals/drums/bass), Danny Leznoff (Guitar/vocals/bass/drums), and Matt Oppenheimer (Bass/Vocals) all participate as songwriters, so their sound continues to expand rather than be confined to just one genre. Here, James and Adam talk about the band's history, Sesame Street, and being breezy. - MHZ: Strictly Global

In these frigid times, the Breezes’ colourful music video for the Sesame Street-indebted sing-along cut “Count to 11” feels like an inviting gust of warm air into a cold room. The quartet skip along the back alleys of Mile End, clown around Westmount Park and perform on a rooftop, all looking so cheery and about a million miles away from winter. It’s not just the visuals, either. Their 2009 self-titled EP was a Hawaiian punch of calm beach rock, while their online release, Update My High, was a collection of experimental loops with a similarly upbeat summery waff. “I’d say we’re more four-seasons,” says synth/drummer/ vocalist James Benjamin. “Especially here, where you have to have a different vibe to go along with each one, and we’re writing songs all the time.”
“The album you’re going to get in 2011 is more similar to the EP,” says guitarist/vocalist Danny LeZnoff. “But our plans in the future involve us doing experimental, spacey stuff too.”
“We’re all into beat culture and mixtapes,” adds Benjamin. “The thing that connects all our music together is the sound—creating sounds and particular moments.”
Benjamin, LeZnoff, Matty Oppenheimer Jr. and Adam Feingold—all multi-instrumentalists, all sharing vocal duties and all integral to the songwriting process—have been hibernat ing within the confines of Breakglass Studios, writing and recording demos for their impending first full-length. Last year, Benjamin became a co-owner of the studio and the Breezes have benefitted by moving into an empty room that’s awaiting the arrival of a new soundboard.
“If we’re honest about it, we’re a studio band first and foremost right now, but it’s a challenge because we know we have to have a show that stands up to our recorded material,” says Benjamin. “We’ve always had fun live, but we feel like we’re not quite there yet.”
Known for their previous collaborative work under the name Flesh Alliance, and as DJs, the Breezes separated for a time before reconvening at Pop Montreal in 2009 for their debut under their current name and configuration. They’ve already tapped into their eclectic studio side, so this year, they intend to continue developing their live presence: currently the four some trade instruments and vocals, and even employ hip hop-style crowd hyping.
“We’ve only played about 25 shows,” says Oppenheimer, “so the band has really been formed out of the studio dynamic. Our chemistry really lies there. The live thing we’re still figur ing out, but it’s coming together.” - The Montreal Mirror

In these frigid times, the Breezes’ colourful music video for the Sesame Street-indebted sing-along cut “Count to 11” feels like an inviting gust of warm air into a cold room. The quartet skip along the back alleys of Mile End, clown around Westmount Park and perform on a rooftop, all looking so cheery and about a million miles away from winter. It’s not just the visuals, either. Their 2009 self-titled EP was a Hawaiian punch of calm beach rock, while their online release, Update My High, was a collection of experimental loops with a similarly upbeat summery waff. “I’d say we’re more four-seasons,” says synth/drummer/ vocalist James Benjamin. “Especially here, where you have to have a different vibe to go along with each one, and we’re writing songs all the time.”
“The album you’re going to get in 2011 is more similar to the EP,” says guitarist/vocalist Danny LeZnoff. “But our plans in the future involve us doing experimental, spacey stuff too.”
“We’re all into beat culture and mixtapes,” adds Benjamin. “The thing that connects all our music together is the sound—creating sounds and particular moments.”
Benjamin, LeZnoff, Matty Oppenheimer Jr. and Adam Feingold—all multi-instrumentalists, all sharing vocal duties and all integral to the songwriting process—have been hibernat ing within the confines of Breakglass Studios, writing and recording demos for their impending first full-length. Last year, Benjamin became a co-owner of the studio and the Breezes have benefitted by moving into an empty room that’s awaiting the arrival of a new soundboard.
“If we’re honest about it, we’re a studio band first and foremost right now, but it’s a challenge because we know we have to have a show that stands up to our recorded material,” says Benjamin. “We’ve always had fun live, but we feel like we’re not quite there yet.”
Known for their previous collaborative work under the name Flesh Alliance, and as DJs, the Breezes separated for a time before reconvening at Pop Montreal in 2009 for their debut under their current name and configuration. They’ve already tapped into their eclectic studio side, so this year, they intend to continue developing their live presence: currently the four some trade instruments and vocals, and even employ hip hop-style crowd hyping.
“We’ve only played about 25 shows,” says Oppenheimer, “so the band has really been formed out of the studio dynamic. Our chemistry really lies there. The live thing we’re still figur ing out, but it’s coming together.” - The Montreal Mirror

2009: When you go see The Breezes you will (if you have a heart): shake it, hold hands, sing, sway, make out, and maybe tear up... but in a joyful, cathartic, tender way

2010: When The Breezes blew into this world, four white doves flew out of their nest and found their way to an etherial castle hidden beneath the canopy of the Amazon. Over time, the castle became phosphorescent and yearned for sunlight. One day the castle broke the canopy's surface and a psychadelic swath of sunlight flooded its rooms - creating a cascading explosion as the white doves reacted with a song of melodic sound. Thus, pop. - Pop Montreal

2009: When you go see The Breezes you will (if you have a heart): shake it, hold hands, sing, sway, make out, and maybe tear up... but in a joyful, cathartic, tender way

2010: When The Breezes blew into this world, four white doves flew out of their nest and found their way to an etherial castle hidden beneath the canopy of the Amazon. Over time, the castle became phosphorescent and yearned for sunlight. One day the castle broke the canopy's surface and a psychadelic swath of sunlight flooded its rooms - creating a cascading explosion as the white doves reacted with a song of melodic sound. Thus, pop. - Pop Montreal

The Breezes - S/T EP
Rialto Records; 2010
8/10

Montreal quartet The Breezes’ debut EP is quite literally a breeze, in the best way. The opening tracks “Go Without” and “Grrl” admirably showcase a quiet, downtempo side that effortlessly blends one song into the other, but tend to drag on. “James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop” picks up the pace, its soft indie-rock sound vaguely reminiscent of Broken Social Scene, circa 2002.
The band shows off their R&B side with the ludicrously titled “Mirage (keep me in the dessert),” a lyrically-challenged ode to a hot chick that doesn’t quite fit in. “Count to 11” is the rockiest, poppiest one of the bunch, with its childish call-and-answer harmonies and proof that some people can’t count beyond ten in French.
While it has plenty of redeeming qualities, the EP would have made much more of a lasting impression had it been able to build momentum from the beginning.
Trial track: “Count to 11” - The Concordian

The Breezes - S/T EP
Rialto Records; 2010
8/10

Montreal quartet The Breezes’ debut EP is quite literally a breeze, in the best way. The opening tracks “Go Without” and “Grrl” admirably showcase a quiet, downtempo side that effortlessly blends one song into the other, but tend to drag on. “James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop” picks up the pace, its soft indie-rock sound vaguely reminiscent of Broken Social Scene, circa 2002.
The band shows off their R&B side with the ludicrously titled “Mirage (keep me in the dessert),” a lyrically-challenged ode to a hot chick that doesn’t quite fit in. “Count to 11” is the rockiest, poppiest one of the bunch, with its childish call-and-answer harmonies and proof that some people can’t count beyond ten in French.
While it has plenty of redeeming qualities, the EP would have made much more of a lasting impression had it been able to build momentum from the beginning.
Trial track: “Count to 11” - The Concordian

Après la sortie de leur premier EP éponyme en février, The Breezes avaient promis de sortir un EP par mois durant l’été. Chose dite chose faite. Les 2 premiers étaient bons, mais le 3e – qui est sorti aujourd’hui – est carrément exceptionnel. En majeure partie l’oeuvre de James Benjamin, cet album vient sous la forme d’un mini-mix de 3 chansons. Le son est hip hop/instru/atmosphérique/expérimental, un genre de mélange entre DJ Premier, Flying Lotus et Brian Eno slash la soundtrack de Rumblefish. Tu vois le genre?

100 exemplaires du EP sont disponibles en téléchargements gratuits sur le blog des Breezes durant les 7 prochains jours. Vite vite vite!

Nicolas Dagenais - 4mtl.com

2. THE BREEZES : The Breezes est peut-être le groupe montréalais qui risque le plus de percer internationalement dans un court délai. Ils font de l’indie pop qui donne le goût de mettre la musique à fond, de prendre ses lunettes de soleil et de s’imaginer en train de surfer les vagues de Biaritz. Je pense d’ailleurs qu’ils vont pouvoir surfer sur une très bonne vague dès la sortie de leur premier album.
Si vous aimez Phoenix, The Beach Boys, The Teenagers.
http://www.myspace.com/thebreezesmusic - www.4mtl.com

2. THE BREEZES : The Breezes est peut-être le groupe montréalais qui risque le plus de percer internationalement dans un court délai. Ils font de l’indie pop qui donne le goût de mettre la musique à fond, de prendre ses lunettes de soleil et de s’imaginer en train de surfer les vagues de Biaritz. Je pense d’ailleurs qu’ils vont pouvoir surfer sur une très bonne vague dès la sortie de leur premier album.
Si vous aimez Phoenix, The Beach Boys, The Teenagers.
http://www.myspace.com/thebreezesmusic - www.4mtl.com

Thinking outside the box- that’s what Montreal boys Matty Jr., Danny LeZnoff, Adam Feingold and James Benjamin have done by getting together, running a few songs, and becoming The Breezes. After a summer of recording, the boys have already put up a few shows (including their EP launch last Wednesday at Casa del Popolo) and are now here for good. A new lively discovery on the music scene that is an interesting mix of influences (be it indie rock, pop or folk), making us eager for more creative “breeziness”. Thanks to James Benjamin for answering our questions.

Valérie: You all seem to have played in different bands. Is there anything exclusive with the music from The Breezes?
J. B. : ‘The Breezes’ is definitely not precisely a band in the traditional sense of the word. At the current juncture, it’s more like an umbrella term to designate a pretty wide stream of creative activities. In other words, ‘The Breezes’ designates the sum of the parts of its members: Matty Jr., Danny LeZnoff, Adam Feingold and James Benjamin. In the same way that a title like ‘actor’ or ‘musician’ could potentially box and limit a designated entity, to call ‘The Breezes’ exclusively a ‘band’ conceptually might limit our creative potential. In addition to always writing, recording, and performing our own music, The Breezes have been working on a script for a motion picture amongst other things. Though The Breezes music runs across a wide range of genres, there’s a certain, for lack of a better word, ‘breeziness’ that runs through everything. You can maybe picture the way a tree tends to move in the wind, like, there’s this continual give and take, and always movement.
Valérie: Your songs were written recently (summer 2009), and with your first EP launch last week, things are already getting started. In a previous interview, you said you wrote 34 songs in a period of just 30 days. How is it possible to be that creative in such a brief period of time?
J.B. : With respect to song writing, it’s very important to keep in mind that unlike many bands out there, everyone in The Breezes has contributed songs to the output of the band. It’s safe to say that our ambitions aren’t small in scale or scope. With respect to the big studio session, we all had a lot of songs, or rather ideas for songs that we wanted to get out, so we simply took the plunge and booked 30 days at Breakglass in Montreal, a studio we feel very comfortable at, and at which James was mentored with respect to engineering. When it comes down to it, we’d rather be recording then doing anything else. It’s a beautiful process, and every song is of course different. One person puts down their idea for a given song, and is more or less running the show for that song. Everyone else is always contributing parts and ideas, and probably most important is that there’s a great deal of trust in one another’s judgment and vision.
Valérie: All proceeds from your EP launch last week at Casa del Popolo have been donated to help efforts in Haiti. This is pretty impressive, given that you are just starting off as a band. Is being politically involved one of your goals as a band?
J. B. : As far as the Haiti benefit goes, I wouldn’t say that we’re especially political, or politically involved, so much as we’re simply people, consciously living in the world. In this case it was a no brainer given the timing, and we, as well as all the other bands involved in the show agreed right away it was the right thing to do. It was really awesome to see the reaction of people who came out to the show, doing things like donating in excess of the ticket price, and it led to a really nice feeling of camaraderie that night. This truly isn’t a case of anyone doing anything remarkable, just a matter of doing the right thing, in the same way we all recycle and compost and try to be generally kind within the societal paradigm.
Valérie : Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming projects and shows?
J.B. : The EP which is now at Phonopolis and Oblique in montreal, and which will soon hopefully be in limited distribution in Toronto and Vancouver (with New York and LA on the horizon) is truly just a ‘Breezes’ sampler, albeit one which was put together in a conceptually unified form. Each and every song on that EP shows a direction towards which a full album will soon be fully devoted. That big session we did last summer was great, and that’s in addition to a number of other smaller sessions we’ve done in the past. We have plans currently to do another big session at Breakglass this summer, which we hope will result in enough material to provide the missing pieces needed to finalize 3 or 4 full albums, and move a number of other projects into various phases of completion. Assuming all goes well on that front, the next step would be a large scale tour in September or October to support all of these releases. In particular, we’ve been asked to play with Philadelphia’s Sunny Days in Glasgow in April here in Montre - 4MTL.com

Thinking outside the box- that’s what Montreal boys Matty Jr., Danny LeZnoff, Adam Feingold and James Benjamin have done by getting together, running a few songs, and becoming The Breezes. After a summer of recording, the boys have already put up a few shows (including their EP launch last Wednesday at Casa del Popolo) and are now here for good. A new lively discovery on the music scene that is an interesting mix of influences (be it indie rock, pop or folk), making us eager for more creative “breeziness”. Thanks to James Benjamin for answering our questions.

Valérie: You all seem to have played in different bands. Is there anything exclusive with the music from The Breezes?
J. B. : ‘The Breezes’ is definitely not precisely a band in the traditional sense of the word. At the current juncture, it’s more like an umbrella term to designate a pretty wide stream of creative activities. In other words, ‘The Breezes’ designates the sum of the parts of its members: Matty Jr., Danny LeZnoff, Adam Feingold and James Benjamin. In the same way that a title like ‘actor’ or ‘musician’ could potentially box and limit a designated entity, to call ‘The Breezes’ exclusively a ‘band’ conceptually might limit our creative potential. In addition to always writing, recording, and performing our own music, The Breezes have been working on a script for a motion picture amongst other things. Though The Breezes music runs across a wide range of genres, there’s a certain, for lack of a better word, ‘breeziness’ that runs through everything. You can maybe picture the way a tree tends to move in the wind, like, there’s this continual give and take, and always movement.
Valérie: Your songs were written recently (summer 2009), and with your first EP launch last week, things are already getting started. In a previous interview, you said you wrote 34 songs in a period of just 30 days. How is it possible to be that creative in such a brief period of time?
J.B. : With respect to song writing, it’s very important to keep in mind that unlike many bands out there, everyone in The Breezes has contributed songs to the output of the band. It’s safe to say that our ambitions aren’t small in scale or scope. With respect to the big studio session, we all had a lot of songs, or rather ideas for songs that we wanted to get out, so we simply took the plunge and booked 30 days at Breakglass in Montreal, a studio we feel very comfortable at, and at which James was mentored with respect to engineering. When it comes down to it, we’d rather be recording then doing anything else. It’s a beautiful process, and every song is of course different. One person puts down their idea for a given song, and is more or less running the show for that song. Everyone else is always contributing parts and ideas, and probably most important is that there’s a great deal of trust in one another’s judgment and vision.
Valérie: All proceeds from your EP launch last week at Casa del Popolo have been donated to help efforts in Haiti. This is pretty impressive, given that you are just starting off as a band. Is being politically involved one of your goals as a band?
J. B. : As far as the Haiti benefit goes, I wouldn’t say that we’re especially political, or politically involved, so much as we’re simply people, consciously living in the world. In this case it was a no brainer given the timing, and we, as well as all the other bands involved in the show agreed right away it was the right thing to do. It was really awesome to see the reaction of people who came out to the show, doing things like donating in excess of the ticket price, and it led to a really nice feeling of camaraderie that night. This truly isn’t a case of anyone doing anything remarkable, just a matter of doing the right thing, in the same way we all recycle and compost and try to be generally kind within the societal paradigm.
Valérie : Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming projects and shows?
J.B. : The EP which is now at Phonopolis and Oblique in montreal, and which will soon hopefully be in limited distribution in Toronto and Vancouver (with New York and LA on the horizon) is truly just a ‘Breezes’ sampler, albeit one which was put together in a conceptually unified form. Each and every song on that EP shows a direction towards which a full album will soon be fully devoted. That big session we did last summer was great, and that’s in addition to a number of other smaller sessions we’ve done in the past. We have plans currently to do another big session at Breakglass this summer, which we hope will result in enough material to provide the missing pieces needed to finalize 3 or 4 full albums, and move a number of other projects into various phases of completion. Assuming all goes well on that front, the next step would be a large scale tour in September or October to support all of these releases. In particular, we’ve been asked to play with Philadelphia’s Sunny Days in Glasgow in April here in Montre - 4MTL.com

The Breezes
self-titled EP (Independent)
In one respect, this Montreal quartet’s moniker perfectly describes their light, summery sound to a tee. But The Breezes also hints at just how effortlessly the group can jump from fuzzy indie folk-rock (“James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop”) to Sesame Street count-alongs (“Count to 11”) to dreamy pop (“Go Without”) and everything in between while retaining and developing their lyrically lighthearted yet musically rich base. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Mirage (Keep Me in the Desert)” (Erik Leijon) - The Montreal Mirror

It's permanently summer in the hearts of light psych-poppers The Breezes, who showed off quite a few sides on their five-song EP earlier this year and their short-lived free online releases. It may be getting colder outside, but The Breezes' beachcombing guitars, soft cooing vocals and easy rhythms feel like a gust of warm air on a frigid day. The Breezes play the Bande A Part Showcase at Quai Des Brumes on Wednesday, Sept. 29, and are at Breakglass on Friday, Oct. 1. - chart attack

As the hour approached midnight we headed over to Quai des Brumes to check out franco-indie rock band, Les Incendiares and Montreal’s The Breezes. This was The Breezes second year in a row playing Pop Montreal and last night’s performance really showed that the band has come a long way from their performance a year ago. And what was even nicer to see was that even though it was 1:30 AM on a Wednesday, Quai des Brumes was completely packed with people. Here are some photos from day 1 at Pop Montreal 2010. - meetyouattheshow.com

As the hour approached midnight we headed over to Quai des Brumes to check out franco-indie rock band, Les Incendiares and Montreal’s The Breezes. This was The Breezes second year in a row playing Pop Montreal and last night’s performance really showed that the band has come a long way from their performance a year ago. And what was even nicer to see was that even though it was 1:30 AM on a Wednesday, Quai des Brumes was completely packed with people. Here are some photos from day 1 at Pop Montreal 2010. - meetyouattheshow.com

I was checking Meet You At The Show and was curious about The Breezes who they have covered recently.
E-mailed a member about reviewing their EP and a few days ago received the CD in the mail.

Here is a blurb about the band from CBC Radio3:
The Breezes is made up of Montreal recording artists and musicians Matty Oppenheimer Jr., Daniel LeZnoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold.
Formerly known as Flesh Alliance during their summer 2007 stint with local artist and self proclaimed visionary revolutionary Francois Zephyr Aleph Cliché,
the group has played shows at various venues in Montreal.

The EP consist of five tracks.
Its a blend of indie pop, rock-alternative and abit of new wave.
With a name like that, their sound does have a breezing pop feel.
Also they almost have that 1960s pop sound like let’s say The Beach Boys.
The rest of the EP is very catchy and quirky
There is a f-bomb dropped on “James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop” but is still great to listen to.
While “Count To 11? is my favorite and feels like they should submit that song for a children’s show for CBC.

Overall its a great start and debut for this Montreal band.
A band that should get some attention in 2010.

Best tracks:
Go Without
Grrl
James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop
Count To 11 - MW music review blog

I was checking Meet You At The Show and was curious about The Breezes who they have covered recently.
E-mailed a member about reviewing their EP and a few days ago received the CD in the mail.

Here is a blurb about the band from CBC Radio3:
The Breezes is made up of Montreal recording artists and musicians Matty Oppenheimer Jr., Daniel LeZnoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold.
Formerly known as Flesh Alliance during their summer 2007 stint with local artist and self proclaimed visionary revolutionary Francois Zephyr Aleph Cliché,
the group has played shows at various venues in Montreal.

The EP consist of five tracks.
Its a blend of indie pop, rock-alternative and abit of new wave.
With a name like that, their sound does have a breezing pop feel.
Also they almost have that 1960s pop sound like let’s say The Beach Boys.
The rest of the EP is very catchy and quirky
There is a f-bomb dropped on “James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop” but is still great to listen to.
While “Count To 11? is my favorite and feels like they should submit that song for a children’s show for CBC.

Overall its a great start and debut for this Montreal band.
A band that should get some attention in 2010.

Best tracks:
Go Without
Grrl
James Benjamin’s Pill Poppin Hop
Count To 11 - MW music review blog

En toute première OTSOTMiènne (encore), voici un album qui vient tout juste de sortir. EXCLUSIVE STUFF !
Sérieusement, je les ai vus en show il y a quelques mois à POP Montreal, ils n’avaient pas encore sorti d’album, et j’ai été fort surpris. Le groupe est formé de quatre mecs, 4 artistes, 4 personnalités qui se complètent merveilleusement. Ils jouent tous de plusieurs instruments, chantent tous et s’échangent les rôles dans leurs multiples chansons meilleures les unes que les autres. Leur album Self Titled The Breezes est un excellent début ! Les chansons de cet album sont disponibles sur leur myspace pour une durée limitée, alors si vous voulez y jeter un coup d’oeil, IT’S NOW OR NEVER !
http://www.myspace.com/thebreezesmusic
C’est en fait leur debut album. Le band est constitué de Matty Opps Jr., Danny LeZnoff, James Benjamin (The Lovely Feathers) et Adam Feingold (Golden Isles). Ils ont joué, comme je l’ai mentionné plus tôt, à POP Montreal, avec Golden Isles à l’Halloween et ils préparent plusieurs shows à Montreal dans les mois qui suivent, dont un lancement officiel de leur album The Breezes EP. - OTSOTM

En toute première OTSOTMiènne (encore), voici un album qui vient tout juste de sortir. EXCLUSIVE STUFF !
Sérieusement, je les ai vus en show il y a quelques mois à POP Montreal, ils n’avaient pas encore sorti d’album, et j’ai été fort surpris. Le groupe est formé de quatre mecs, 4 artistes, 4 personnalités qui se complètent merveilleusement. Ils jouent tous de plusieurs instruments, chantent tous et s’échangent les rôles dans leurs multiples chansons meilleures les unes que les autres. Leur album Self Titled The Breezes est un excellent début ! Les chansons de cet album sont disponibles sur leur myspace pour une durée limitée, alors si vous voulez y jeter un coup d’oeil, IT’S NOW OR NEVER !
http://www.myspace.com/thebreezesmusic
C’est en fait leur debut album. Le band est constitué de Matty Opps Jr., Danny LeZnoff, James Benjamin (The Lovely Feathers) et Adam Feingold (Golden Isles). Ils ont joué, comme je l’ai mentionné plus tôt, à POP Montreal, avec Golden Isles à l’Halloween et ils préparent plusieurs shows à Montreal dans les mois qui suivent, dont un lancement officiel de leur album The Breezes EP. - OTSOTM

"December 2, 2009 in Blog, Reviews
Last night was really happening at Montreal hot spot the Green Room. The unofficial theme for last night’s show was fantastic facial hair. The show started off with a new up and coming Montreal band The Breezes.

The boys, Matty Oppenheimer Jr., Daniel Leznoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold, really knew how to put on a lively performance. Kudos to James Benjamin for rocking the sole beard of the group! From hopping on and off the stage, getting the audience involved, and my favorite, they each took turns playing different instruments and singing. What an awesome idea- I must say I have never seen a band play “musical instruments” before (get it? Ha!). My only criticism was that the vocals weren’t quite loud enough and could barely be heard over their instruments. Other than that minor detail, I really give it up to these guys for owning the stage and putting on an entertaining and fun performance!" - meetyouattheshow.com

"December 2, 2009 in Blog, Reviews
Last night was really happening at Montreal hot spot the Green Room. The unofficial theme for last night’s show was fantastic facial hair. The show started off with a new up and coming Montreal band The Breezes.

The boys, Matty Oppenheimer Jr., Daniel Leznoff, James Benjamin and Adam Feingold, really knew how to put on a lively performance. Kudos to James Benjamin for rocking the sole beard of the group! From hopping on and off the stage, getting the audience involved, and my favorite, they each took turns playing different instruments and singing. What an awesome idea- I must say I have never seen a band play “musical instruments” before (get it? Ha!). My only criticism was that the vocals weren’t quite loud enough and could barely be heard over their instruments. Other than that minor detail, I really give it up to these guys for owning the stage and putting on an entertaining and fun performance!" - meetyouattheshow.com