Music
Press
By: Chris Clay
September 14, 2007 - Life can come at you pretty fast.
One minute, Meadowvale emcee Cecil Bain, who performs under the stage name Cess Rock, is chowing down on ribs with former Sum 41 guitarist Dave Baksh at last year's Mississauga Rotary Ribfest.
The next, he's asked to record a song with Baksh, which led to Bain being invited to join the guitarist's band, Brown Brigade, help record its full-length debut album and go on a cross-Canada tour with the group when it opened for punk legends Ignite, Pennywise and Circle Jerks.
"The tour was such an amazing experience," said Bain. "I was literally the only black dude on the tour, but they all showed a brother mad love. Dave is big on making sure that everyone feels like family, and that vibe extended to the tour."
Brown Brigade, rounded out by bassist Vaughn Lal, guitarist Craig Pattison and drummer Johnny Owens, will drop its debut album, Into The Mouth Of Badd(d)ness, at a CD release party this Tuesday at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. The album is primarily metal, but various genre-crossing influences can also be heard.
Several tracks, including Aggravation Plantation, Pure Bread, WD 80, In The Mouth of Badd(d)ness and Make Way Fedeyout, are available for preview at www.brown-brigade.com. In addition to vocal duties, Bain also plays the djembe, a percussion instrument.
"The album is awesome, with a capital A-W-E-S-O-M-E," said Bain, with a laugh. "It's going to blow people away. I'm hoping and praying it breaks records across the board."
With an appreciation for metal and rock music, although he's not a huge follower of the genre, Bain's continued education into it has been interesting, to say the least.
"I look at music in two ways; it's either good or it's bad," said Bain. "I've always appreciated lots of music and I find myself listening to any and everything right now. With the Brown Brigade, I'm just adding my feel to (the sound), whether it's funk or hip-hop or whatever."
A member of Mississauga band, The Quits, Bain said he hopes to record a solo album with help from Baksh and local emcee Paul Castro of The Identity Crisis.
Working with someone like Baksh, who received international fame and recognition with his former band, could have been intimidating, admitted Bain. However, working with him has been anything but intimidating.
"Obviously, I know how large Sum 41 was," said Bain. "You walk into Dave's house and see all the awards and it's a bit overwhelming, but Dave has been awesome. He never told me what or how to play. The only direction I ever received from him is to get into the music."
Bain is looking forward to Tuesday's show.
"The Horseshoe was the first (venue) we all played together at so I'm looking at it as kind of a cool 360," said Bain. "I'm hoping some 'Sauga people will come out and represent."
Brown Brigade performs at 9:30 p.m. There's no cover.
cclay@mississauga.net
(Source: http://www.mississauganews.com/article/6771) - Mississauga News
Discography
Another Elsewhere - The EP (singles include; "Red Eye", "Senorita" and "Higher")
Full Length Album arriving in '08
Photos
Bio
“FOR ALL THOSE WHO SAID WE SHOULD CALL IT QUITS ...WE DID.”
"Prepare yourself for an experience that is beyond that which you have ever encountered."
Out of the G.T.A., a group has formed that is not afraid to step past what is widely excepted as Hip Hop and bring back what has been missing and what has never been attempted with the artform.
This quartet, comprised Of Cecil Bain (Cess Rock, Brown Brigade), Ricky Tillo (Action Figure Army, Robot Man), Johnny Owens (Suckershot, Brown Brigade) and Milos Angelov (hellocharlie), have been involved in the canadian music scene collectively for over 20 years and have come together to create a new sound all their own. "Hip Hop music has come along way and alot of the essential tools used to make a classic hip hop joint have been forsaken" says Cess Rock. He goes on to say, "What we have done is taken the style and the flows from the golden days and put them to new innovative sounds that we have come together to create"
The Quits's first project, Another Elsewhere - The EP is set to be realesed on itunes in the new year and the single "Red Eye" recieved a number of spins on The Traffice Jam mixshow on Flow 93.5 hosted by DJ Starting From Scratch.
On the verge of writing their first full length album, 3 years after becoming a band, Each member now comes together from their individual projects with a new take on life from maturity and road experince. "Being on the road individually has all taught us what works and what doesn't work and most importantly how to rock a crowd, being on the road collectively is going to change the world !!" says Cess.
The Quits pledge:
Quit Conforming to what is considered the norm
Quit Settling for mediocrity
Quit swallowing what they force down your throat
Become a quitter, we'll quit together
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