the unquiet dead

Before the world started calling everything that sounded half like The Black Keys “roots rock” there was a band that defined roots rock, The Band. The Unquiet Dead are real roots rock in the tradition of The Band and we loved their set. - T-MAK WORLD

You don’t have to love Windsor but you do have to respect its diverse and incredibly talented music pool. When your city sits across from Motown, literally a 10 minute drive away on a day where the border guards are being cool, there’s going to be some talent spillover.

This was The Unquiet Dead’s second year at NXNE and after generating some positive press from last year’s performance came back to play another year. Perhaps one of the stranger facts about this group is that many of the members do come from metal and hard rock backgrounds, a fairly common theme in Windsor’s music scene. As years go by though, aspirations change and the music blender churns out some oddly successful mixes.

As mentioned in the last post here, if you can properly add more instruments to a band and still maintain sonic integrity, it’s worth trying. The Unquiet Dead have capitalized on this notion and sitting at 9 members (most of the time), their stage show is as big as the individual personalities. What you get with an Unquiet Dead show is loads of fun, what’s the point otherwise?

It’s a fair bet that the musical backgrounds of the band assist in making the show completely energetic. Usually folky bands like this tend to take the stage and perform a set wrought with proficiency, tact, and absolute boredom for the audience. The Unquiet Dead can’t stand still and soon after breaking into any given song you’ll find at least a few members of the crew dancing.

While they do need to work on their song placement when considering their set, the band is of the type that makes you scratch your head and wonder why they aren’t more popular outside of Windsor. Their energy is infectious, their music is bold and louder than you’d expect and they have a tambourine player that adds so much more to the set than you’re thinking right now.

This group is a definite must-see the next time they’re in town. - The Word Bird Says

ow, some might say a hard-drinking acoustic one-man band with a lit candle on his head is a hard act to follow (hell, y’know what, I’ll say it.), but I’ll be damned if The Unquiet Dead didn’t live up to their opener. As they matched the crowd-pleasing stage presence of Wax Mannequin while delivering complex and layered indie rock, this roots-inspired band was a tour-de-force. The Unquiet Dead is a mosaic of talent that delighted a flooded venue. The amazing turnout of the crowd was met with performances in-kind, with highlights being “Hard Road” and the first live-performance of “Excavation”. Though the rest of the set-list eluded me (by no fault of my own of course, beer tends to play tricks on the memory and attention span… and the Phog has great beer.), The Unquiet Dead presented a stellar show. These are definitely some guys to keep an eye on. - churcHouse.ca

The Unquiet Dead
The Tragically Hip were adopted as national heroes by so many because the band voiced a Canadian identity that had been, until they came along, always hidden by our own national kitsch: maple leaves, maples syrup, the polite tourist, and beavers. Traditionally, our national identity is so bland and comfortable we’ve given the impression of being the nice-old-couple-down-the-street of global culture. The Hip found a sound that purely Canadian – without kitsch.

Friday night at Toronto’s Silver Dollar Room the Unquiet Dead did the same.

The band itself, much like Canadian identity, is eclectic: eight people of various ages and backgrounds, using what looked to be about twenty-two different instruments from maracas to mandolins. The room was cold and half-empty when they crowded the stage, but it took them all of five seconds to slam some life into it with “Lord Loves a Workin’ Man,” followed by “Hard Road” and “Rescue Me.”

Their fourth number, “Early,” was a heartfelt, soul-churning eulogy that was both upbeat and profound, and possibly the best song that night. “St. James the Mooch” was gritty and fun in a Tom Waits style, while “Fool’s Gold” was sultry and haunting, and the band ended their set by rocking out with “Even Water Burns.”

The Unquiet Dead brought a little bit of The Hip, a dash of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and a helluva lot of Canadian heart and soul. And they really, really work well together. They were a fantastic opener, and easily could have been their own headline. - The Spill Magazine

It’s easy to look at Windsor’s nine-piece roots rockers the Unquiet Dead and see their Broken Social Scene-esque packed stage as a gimmick. And while Tales of the Unquiet Dead wanders off at points, it shows they are capable of crafting some focused, striking songs.

Zippy country-tinged rockers like “Rescue Me” and “Holy One” are busy and fun and sound like every member is pulling their weight. But the Unquiet Dead is really at their best when they slow things down. The sludgy, Tom Waits school of roots rock is evident on the scene-setting opener “Fool’s Gold.” That morose but confident approach seeps into the rest of the album at times, but when they go at it with their (charmingly rusted) guns blazing shows the band at their best.

Happier, upbeat folk songs like “For The Moon” and “Maanendam” aren’t bad, but seem out of place and a little silly, with lyrics about things that are “meant to be” like Romeo and Juliet, Sid and Nancy and John and Yoko. They pull you out of the swamp, and they don’t seem to be treated with the same delicate touch as the rest.

It’s that special feeling that makes Book One such a worthwhile listen; that measured, baroque mood that matches the folklore-ish storybook they’re presenting. When The Unquiet Dead is focused on telling the story, the tale is worth hearing. - The Lance (University of Windsor newspaper)

It’s easy to look at Windsor’s nine-piece roots rockers the Unquiet Dead and see their Broken Social Scene-esque packed stage as a gimmick. And while Tales of the Unquiet Dead wanders off at points, it shows they are capable of crafting some focused, striking songs.

Zippy country-tinged rockers like “Rescue Me” and “Holy One” are busy and fun and sound like every member is pulling their weight. But the Unquiet Dead is really at their best when they slow things down. The sludgy, Tom Waits school of roots rock is evident on the scene-setting opener “Fool’s Gold.” That morose but confident approach seeps into the rest of the album at times, but when they go at it with their (charmingly rusted) guns blazing shows the band at their best.

Happier, upbeat folk songs like “For The Moon” and “Maanendam” aren’t bad, but seem out of place and a little silly, with lyrics about things that are “meant to be” like Romeo and Juliet, Sid and Nancy and John and Yoko. They pull you out of the swamp, and they don’t seem to be treated with the same delicate touch as the rest.

It’s that special feeling that makes Book One such a worthwhile listen; that measured, baroque mood that matches the folklore-ish storybook they’re presenting. When The Unquiet Dead is focused on telling the story, the tale is worth hearing. - The Lance (University of Windsor newspaper)

Seven months ago, a new band came onto the scene here in Windsor, and since then they have garnered success all across Southern Ontario.

Windsor’s folk darlings, the unquiet dead, have shared a stage with Yukon Blonde, The Schomberg Fair, and Elliot Brood, and they have even found their way into Canada’s largest music festival at Canadian Music Week.

But their crowning achievement to date is the independent release of their debut album, Tales of the Unquiet Dead Book One. The album was recorded with Mark Plancke and Shark Tank Studios and released at The Capitol Theatre in early April.

Produced by Plancke and Daren Dobsky, one of the group’s chief songwriters, the unquiet dead present to listeners with this album a collection of short stories. The tales follow no particular theme, ranging from regret and escape to love and loss, and everything in between. But in the presentation of every song, there is always an element, often indefinable, that is undeniably creepy.

With nine members in the band, it’s safe to assume that there is going to be a lot going on all the time. But even with the layers upon layers of vocals and various instruments, the band keeps things from getting overwhelming, leaves breathing space, through some very nice attention to dynamics, panning, and frequency ranges.

The entire album is smooth and non-offensive, slipping past with silky guitar tones, velvety vocals, and polished percussion. The actual genre of the band is difficult to pin down, as each song has it’s own unique flavour, a different bit of genre influence.

The up-beat singalong Rescue Me has some vocals that wouldn’t be out of place in an 80’s soul-pop song, While Hard Road could fit well onto the O Brother, Where Art Thou sound track, thanks to it’s heavy bluegrass sound. For The Moon could easily be from the Adam and Kris album In The Garden, a song that it likely to cause much hand-holding and swaying in unison, while St. James The Moocher might be played in some suave martini lounge where heavy-lidded ladies rest upon the arms of tight-suited men with slicked back hair.

Best described as hauntingly beautiful, in Tales of The Unquiet Dead Book One listeners aren’t going to find tracks to break their neck or fist pump to, but they’ll find stories worth hearing presented in a way that is as timeless as it is soothing. Each time listening through this album you’re likely to walk away having picked upon some new subtlety hidden within the songs innumerable layers and folds.

Let’s rate this album two stout servings of good brandy and a bonfire by the lake at sunset. Best songs? Lord Loves A Workin Man and St. James The Moocher. - The Windsor Zene

Another band that was previewed on the site by Dan, The Unquiet Dead put on a show that will be tough to beat for me. Having never heard their music before, or read Dan’s preview, oops, I had no idea what I was in for when I made my way to the front of the room for their set. First of all, I couldn’t believe how many band members were crowded onto that stage. A Windsor collective of 12 musicians, The Unquiet Dead would have been remarkable if only for how seamlessly they performed together, always in tune and on time with various harmonies, notes and percussion. Dan described their sound as a blues-twinged country-folk-gospel blend and he was not kidding around. Quite frankly, if the vocals and percussion on the track Lord Loves A Workin Man doesn’t give you chills you might need to get your ears checked. - Two Way Monologues

Another band that was previewed on the site by Dan, The Unquiet Dead put on a show that will be tough to beat for me. Having never heard their music before, or read Dan’s preview, oops, I had no idea what I was in for when I made my way to the front of the room for their set. First of all, I couldn’t believe how many band members were crowded onto that stage. A Windsor collective of 12 musicians, The Unquiet Dead would have been remarkable if only for how seamlessly they performed together, always in tune and on time with various harmonies, notes and percussion. Dan described their sound as a blues-twinged country-folk-gospel blend and he was not kidding around. Quite frankly, if the vocals and percussion on the track Lord Loves A Workin Man doesn’t give you chills you might need to get your ears checked. - Two Way Monologues

WINDSOR, Ont. -- There definitely wasn’t anything quiet about The Unquiet Dead’s CD release party at the Capitol Theatre Saturday night.

There was plenty of audience toe tapping, hand clapping and finger snapping as the nine-person local band put on an eclectic performance in a sold-out show in front of about 250 people.

Having formed less than a year ago, the band’s recently released CD was their first and is called Tales of the Unquiet Dead: Book One.

As for the genre of music, co-lead singer Jamie Greer said the band is still trying to figure this out, with rhythms and beats crossing many styles of music including blues, rock and country. The band has been described as Americana roots, indie and psychedelic to name a few. Greer said the many different musical backgrounds of all of the musicians add depth to the band’s music and overall sound.

“We’ve all come from such diverse music styles that when it all comes together it’s like a potpourri,” said Greer. “The album plays like a mixed tape almost. It’s kind of all over the map but there’s a cohesiveness to it that doesn’t make it sound awkward.”

Greer said the band members are quite shocked and surprised by how quickly Windsor has embraced their music.

Fan Bob Wilson, 55, said the band’s music even attracts “old farts” like himself. He grew up in the era of bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple and recognizes some of their beats and sounds in The Unquiet Dead’s music, which he likes.

“It’s varied. It’s not just one thing, like just rock ’n’ roll or folk. It’s a whole mixture,” Wilson said of the band’s music. “To me, it’s a novelty, and I think it’s great.”

Wilson said he would definitely call himself a fan of The Unquiet Dead considering he doesn’t usually go out at night — opting instead for a few afternoon beers at a local pub then heading home to go to bed. But he made an exception for the band’s CD release party to show his support.

The band members range in age from 22 to 39. They include: Daren Dobsky on lead vocals, guitar and mandolin; Jamie Greer on lead vocals and percussion; Gary J. Van Lare on vocals and bass; Louis Cooney on percussion and vocals; Jason P. Testawich on mandolin, accordion, guitar and vocals; Jesse Kustra on electric guitar and vocals; Josh Fraser on banjo, lap steel and vocals; Loice Mutuma on vocals and percussion; and Holly Brush on vocals and percussion.

“The reason we have three or four percussionists in the band is we try to create all the sounds and rhythms ... without the use of electronics,” said Greer. “So it’s all sort of creating almost an industrial sound, which I think kind of ties to our Windsor roots. Being such a blue-collar machine shop kind of a town like that, this is just kind of the sound of the gears and the press plant and things like that.”

Kim Elliott, a fan of The Unquiet Dead right from the beginning, said beside the band’s unique sound, he’s attracted to the positive message of hope in many of the songs.

“And I think that comes from not knowing if ends are going to meet in this town. A lot of people experience that, but still put in a good day’s work and an honest effort,” said Elliott. “We’re not sitting back with a sense of entitlement. Even when times are getting hard, we just pick up our bootstraps a little higher. And that’s the kind of message and sense of inspiration that I get from listening to them.”

Elliott has seen the band perform several times.

“You can see in each one of them that they are living in the music, not just performing,” he said. “There’s something sincere in watching them.”

Greer said the title of the band derived from the band wanting to have meaning within their songs.

“Our mantra, and the reason for the name Unquiet Dead, is speaking for those (who) couldn’t speak for themselves while they were alive — people like slaves, old soldiers in wars, downtrodden and cast-out people,” said Greer. “But they’re not all dreary doom songs. Some get pretty deep and some are meant to be a good-time rhythm party.”


- The Windsor Star

WINDSOR, Ont. -- There definitely wasn’t anything quiet about The Unquiet Dead’s CD release party at the Capitol Theatre Saturday night.

There was plenty of audience toe tapping, hand clapping and finger snapping as the nine-person local band put on an eclectic performance in a sold-out show in front of about 250 people.

Having formed less than a year ago, the band’s recently released CD was their first and is called Tales of the Unquiet Dead: Book One.

As for the genre of music, co-lead singer Jamie Greer said the band is still trying to figure this out, with rhythms and beats crossing many styles of music including blues, rock and country. The band has been described as Americana roots, indie and psychedelic to name a few. Greer said the many different musical backgrounds of all of the musicians add depth to the band’s music and overall sound.

“We’ve all come from such diverse music styles that when it all comes together it’s like a potpourri,” said Greer. “The album plays like a mixed tape almost. It’s kind of all over the map but there’s a cohesiveness to it that doesn’t make it sound awkward.”

Greer said the band members are quite shocked and surprised by how quickly Windsor has embraced their music.

Fan Bob Wilson, 55, said the band’s music even attracts “old farts” like himself. He grew up in the era of bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple and recognizes some of their beats and sounds in The Unquiet Dead’s music, which he likes.

“It’s varied. It’s not just one thing, like just rock ’n’ roll or folk. It’s a whole mixture,” Wilson said of the band’s music. “To me, it’s a novelty, and I think it’s great.”

Wilson said he would definitely call himself a fan of The Unquiet Dead considering he doesn’t usually go out at night — opting instead for a few afternoon beers at a local pub then heading home to go to bed. But he made an exception for the band’s CD release party to show his support.

The band members range in age from 22 to 39. They include: Daren Dobsky on lead vocals, guitar and mandolin; Jamie Greer on lead vocals and percussion; Gary J. Van Lare on vocals and bass; Louis Cooney on percussion and vocals; Jason P. Testawich on mandolin, accordion, guitar and vocals; Jesse Kustra on electric guitar and vocals; Josh Fraser on banjo, lap steel and vocals; Loice Mutuma on vocals and percussion; and Holly Brush on vocals and percussion.

“The reason we have three or four percussionists in the band is we try to create all the sounds and rhythms ... without the use of electronics,” said Greer. “So it’s all sort of creating almost an industrial sound, which I think kind of ties to our Windsor roots. Being such a blue-collar machine shop kind of a town like that, this is just kind of the sound of the gears and the press plant and things like that.”

Kim Elliott, a fan of The Unquiet Dead right from the beginning, said beside the band’s unique sound, he’s attracted to the positive message of hope in many of the songs.

“And I think that comes from not knowing if ends are going to meet in this town. A lot of people experience that, but still put in a good day’s work and an honest effort,” said Elliott. “We’re not sitting back with a sense of entitlement. Even when times are getting hard, we just pick up our bootstraps a little higher. And that’s the kind of message and sense of inspiration that I get from listening to them.”

Elliott has seen the band perform several times.

“You can see in each one of them that they are living in the music, not just performing,” he said. “There’s something sincere in watching them.”

Greer said the title of the band derived from the band wanting to have meaning within their songs.

“Our mantra, and the reason for the name Unquiet Dead, is speaking for those (who) couldn’t speak for themselves while they were alive — people like slaves, old soldiers in wars, downtrodden and cast-out people,” said Greer. “But they’re not all dreary doom songs. Some get pretty deep and some are meant to be a good-time rhythm party.”


- The Windsor Star

Friday’s show at the Red Garnet brought together a couple of seemingly very different bands. There was locals The Express and Co., a folk band that sing songs about love and rural life, and there was Windsor’s The Unquiet Dead, a nine-member conglomeration of musicians (though only seven were there on Friday) that sings songs about death, fear, and the devil. But what these two bands shared was a surprisingly high level of musical talent, and it made for a great performance.

Here’s the thing about bands with lots of members: often, the individual members aren’t very good. I’ll explain. Let’s say you’re listening to The White Stripes, and drummer Meg White is playing badly. You will hear it, because that band has two members, and so Meg is 50% of the band’s sound. But if someone in The Unquiet Dead (or any other big band) doesn’t happen to be the most talented musician in the world, it would be hard to tell, because they would tend to blend into the background (and the rest of the band would write songs around that somewhat weaker link). Indeed, unless a band of this size is actively trying to get you to listen to one particular musician – for example, by having a single vocalist with no back-up, an instrument solo, or by having most of the tune carried by one instrument – what you’ll hear is the overall sound of the band. And that sound can be beautiful, unique, and interesting, even if the sound coming out of each individual player in the band is not.

So this is what makes it so surprising that so many of the members of The Uniquiet Dead are such phenomenal musicians. Lead vocals switched between three or four performers, each of whom had strong and distinctive voices that were confident enough to carry a song on their own. Probably because the band had so many great singers, their songs also included a number of choral sections, where most or all the band sang together, with tremendous range – from eerie droning in the background of one song, to Beach Boys-type pop song “oooEEEooo”s in another, to hopeful tribal chanting in the song “Hard Road.”

And despite the large size of the band, songs were intentionally built with room for different performers to have their turn in the spotlight. Daren Dobsky was one of the band’s standouts, handling some of the most impressive mandolin sections in the set, except when he was playing guitar or carrying lead vocals. Jesse Kustra, another standout, was the band’s solo electric guitar player, and had a number of exceptional blues guitar solos, while never losing the calm, passive expression on his face.

This was especially surprising, considering the somewhat gimmicky feel the band has. Their first song, for example, began with a droning chant over low, eerie, slow melodic lines. Then, a band member pulled out a scroll – a goddamn scroll! – and started reading this long, bizarre speech. I can’t quote from it exactly, but he talked about things like “a thousand screaming voices silenced in the blackness” or “dark figures blot out the sun” or “a cold wind blows” or whatever. Later songs discussed death, the devil, and other cheery subjects. It was all a bit silly, but highly entertaining. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Some bands focus on crafting music; some focus on crafting a performance (for a longer discussion of that, check out my review of Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker). Both can be good, but it’s rare to see a band like The Unquiet Dead that seems to have a hold on both.

The show’s opener, The Express and Co., was another fantastic example of a band with talented performers, who know where their talent lies and know how to write songs for that talent. Sometimes, The Express and Co. can seem primarily like a showcase for lead singer and guitar player Dylan Ireland, and singer and fiddle player Melissa Payne – both talented musicians and singers who sound great playing together. And their songs are written to those strengths – melodies pass between guitar and fiddle, and most of the lyrics are sung in harmony between the two singers (or passing back and forth between them). The band is also increasingly playing songs that show of the range of these performers – from quiet, sad songs like “Montreal,” to a loud, blazingly fast Sadies-like cover of “Stay A Little Longer.”

It’s a hopeful sign. A little while ago, in a review of The Express and Co.’s debut album, I suggested that, while the album was very good, the songs somewhat lacked range, and it all kind of sounded similar. Last night’s show displayed that, regardless of musical style or band composition, when a band is aware of its strengths and is able to write songs that play to those strengths, the music that comes out can be truly fantastic. - Electric City Live - Peterborough's Music Magazine

Band Profile: The Unquiet Dead (Windsor):

Playing: Weds March 21st at 9:00 PM

The Unquiet Dead is a collective of 12 of the most talented musicians Windsor’s music scene has to offer. Some of these musicians have decades of experience, others a lot less than that. They’ve all been in countless bands that you may or may not have heard about. The collective pedigree of the band has been enough to already launch them to the top of the heap in Windsor, having just opened for Elliot Brood, and they are on the verge of having their debut album release with the Schomberg Fair and Pat Robitaille. I had their debut Toronto show for the Black Hat Brigade reunion show and all I can tell you is that they are an absolutely enthralling act to watch live.

You’d think fitting 12 people on the Rancho stage would be difficult, and you’d be right to have that concern. But it’s not a problem when you have 12 pros like these — lined up in three rows, this blues-twinged country-folk-gospel outfit hit the stage in perfect unison. They don’t have six guitars or anything crazy like that. Instead, many of the members bring percussive elements to the band, and plenty are singing vocals and backup vocals throughout. It really is a powerful performance sonically, emotionally, and visually as you watch these 12 passionate musicians pour their hearts out into these powerful, almost guttural songs.

These are 12 musicians who wouldn’t take no for an answer. 12 musicians who’ve been through everything there is to go through in the music industry, including band breakups, huge highs followed by terrible lows, and anything you can imagine in between. It would have been easy for any combination of this band’s members to have just walked away from music or started playing solo here or there just to scratch the itch, but they weren’t having that. Instead they kept playing and eventually found each other, and that’s how the Unquiet Dead came to be. Take a listen to “Hard Road” on the band’s Facebook page to get a feel for what I am talking about. If nothing can stop the Unquiet Dead, then does that not mean the sky is the limit for this band? - Two Way Monologues

Last month I came across a band known as The Unquiet Dead. For a few weeks their CBC Radio3 artist page would be a frequent stop as I researched new music. This being said, when I found out they were playing a show in town, I had to find my way inside.

This passing Friday was the day of the show. I was excited to compare their recorded work to live performance, but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. The show was held at a downtown Windsor club called The Room. I could tell that the people in attendance were not regular patrons, however the place was packed.

As they took the stage my guest and I pushed our way to the front of the room to get a good look at what we assumed would be an amazing performance. We didn’t want other peoples chatter to drown out the sound, however this soon proved to not be a problem as their juggernaut of sound consumed the room. I watched the focus of the room change from a social gathering between friends to a group of people coming together strictly for the music.

The large bands stage presence was great and they filled the room quite profoundly with their sound. Often a live performance may not make full use of the entire room. Maybe it’s because of their five percussionists or four vocalists always keeping amazing harmony, maybe even their multiple guitars with banjo and mandolin fills. Simply put, my night was incredible.

There was one song that literally tore me apart inside as Jamie Greer explained the reason for writing his Irish drinking song for his wife and began to sing it with great emotion. The talent didn’t stop there…Daren Dobsky has a voice that speaks to your soul and I don’t think it could be more perfectly suited to any other band or genre.

I have seen many concerts in my time and this local show has knocked most of them down a peg. I walked out of the venue with the same feeling of euphoria that I can only compare to the feeling I had while leaving the Broken Social Scene concert I attended a few years back.

The Unquiet Dead will be in London and Toronto in the upcoming month, as well as Canadian music week (Toronto) in March. I suggest any music lovers go and check them out before their latest album is released in April. - West and Crooked

A sum of most of the parts of Windsor’s musical history from the last decade, the Unquiet Dead are stepping up their musical game to back up the ambitions that have developed from the realities of making the band work.

Lead vocalist Jamie Greer has played in bands with Darren Dobsky and been turning to him as a jamming partner for years. While they had loftier goals, the time was never right to put the effort into a project that required so much organization, work and people being on the same page.

In the summer, however, the songs they were creating began to suggest that they should get the ball rolling.

“Sometimes a song would sound more like something Darren would want to do solo or would fit better for another band,” Greer said about the genesis of the Unquiet Dead. “But we started to get songs together that began to feel like they were part of the same family of music. Then we hand-picked five or six people we really wanted to work with.”

The band expanded to a 10-piece, featuring Greer, Dobsky, Gary Van Lare, Mark Sikich, Louis Cooney, Jason Testawich, Jesse Kustra, Josh Fraser, Loice Mutuma and Holly Brush. The other bands that they’ve been involved with—both in the past and currently—amount to almost two dozen.

“We wanted to create something that was an ensemble that was worth being an ensemble, because sometimes people can go in these big bands and some of these people aren’t really necessary,” Greer said. “We wanted to create some- thing that was visually impressive to look at, but everybody had to be a cog in the machine. They couldn’t just be up there for eye candy.”

The band plays an edgy, almost grungy folk and roots sound. The mechanical nature of the band’s performing philosophy seems to have influenced the direction their music.

“Some people have said we almost sound industrial, even though we have no electronics on stage, because we have one person hitting one thing and someone hitting something else, almost like pistons in a machine. Maybe industrial in the sense of the industrial revolution.”

Greer said bringing the band’s music to an audience that expands beyond the people they know in Windsor is a priority. “We wanted to apply to a lot of festivals for next year, because we find the music we have right now is the most accessible music those of us in the band have done in the past, in that it can appeal to a broader spectrum of people, rather than just indie rock fans or roots fans.”

The Unquiet Dead have been tearing through opportunities. Their debut performance was in October, opening for Polaris Prize-listed Yukon Blonde. A month later, they played a critically acclaimed show in Toronto, will be playing with the Unsettlers in the new year, and have already been accepted to perform as part of Canadian Music Week’s artist showcase. They’ve released a limited edition single, with a full-length album on the way in March.

Much of the band’s ability to access these opportunities has come through the networking that has been done and contacts that have been made through previous projects, specifically Greer’s work as a manager and booking agent.

“A lot of them have been blind chances,” Greer said about the clubs and pro- moters who have allowed the band to perform. “That kind of stuff pushes us so that we don’t let them down and have them think we’re riding on coattails. It’s been a very lucky thing as well. They don’t have to keep taking chances on a band they haven’t really heard before. With all these opportunities, we’ve had to put up or shut up.”

Greer described the first few months of the band as hectic, especially in terms of finding musicians who were able to fully commit to what the band would become.

“A lot of them might think, ‘Oh, sure you want to jam,’” Greer said about recruiting band members. “The music scene in Windsor is so tight-knit, I think people are always talking about jamming with everyone. So people don’t always take it with the sincerity that sometimes there is. It might just be drunk talk at the bar or lip service.”

The band has implemented a rigorous work ethic, sticking to rehearsal twice a week. “We need to make sure it’s an iron machine. We’ve been in bands where you practice once a month, but you can’t fly by the seat of your pants with a ten-piece.”

“With everything we’ve got going, I don’t think anyone can put this on the backburner and call it a side project anymore. I think we have to look at this as our primary thing to make it work We had to consider which one we put more time, blood, sweat and tears into, and the answer has become pretty obvious.” - The Lance

A sum of most of the parts of Windsor’s musical history from the last decade, the Unquiet Dead are stepping up their musical game to back up the ambitions that have developed from the realities of making the band work.

Lead vocalist Jamie Greer has played in bands with Darren Dobsky and been turning to him as a jamming partner for years. While they had loftier goals, the time was never right to put the effort into a project that required so much organization, work and people being on the same page.

In the summer, however, the songs they were creating began to suggest that they should get the ball rolling.

“Sometimes a song would sound more like something Darren would want to do solo or would fit better for another band,” Greer said about the genesis of the Unquiet Dead. “But we started to get songs together that began to feel like they were part of the same family of music. Then we hand-picked five or six people we really wanted to work with.”

The band expanded to a 10-piece, featuring Greer, Dobsky, Gary Van Lare, Mark Sikich, Louis Cooney, Jason Testawich, Jesse Kustra, Josh Fraser, Loice Mutuma and Holly Brush. The other bands that they’ve been involved with—both in the past and currently—amount to almost two dozen.

“We wanted to create something that was an ensemble that was worth being an ensemble, because sometimes people can go in these big bands and some of these people aren’t really necessary,” Greer said. “We wanted to create some- thing that was visually impressive to look at, but everybody had to be a cog in the machine. They couldn’t just be up there for eye candy.”

The band plays an edgy, almost grungy folk and roots sound. The mechanical nature of the band’s performing philosophy seems to have influenced the direction their music.

“Some people have said we almost sound industrial, even though we have no electronics on stage, because we have one person hitting one thing and someone hitting something else, almost like pistons in a machine. Maybe industrial in the sense of the industrial revolution.”

Greer said bringing the band’s music to an audience that expands beyond the people they know in Windsor is a priority. “We wanted to apply to a lot of festivals for next year, because we find the music we have right now is the most accessible music those of us in the band have done in the past, in that it can appeal to a broader spectrum of people, rather than just indie rock fans or roots fans.”

The Unquiet Dead have been tearing through opportunities. Their debut performance was in October, opening for Polaris Prize-listed Yukon Blonde. A month later, they played a critically acclaimed show in Toronto, will be playing with the Unsettlers in the new year, and have already been accepted to perform as part of Canadian Music Week’s artist showcase. They’ve released a limited edition single, with a full-length album on the way in March.

Much of the band’s ability to access these opportunities has come through the networking that has been done and contacts that have been made through previous projects, specifically Greer’s work as a manager and booking agent.

“A lot of them have been blind chances,” Greer said about the clubs and pro- moters who have allowed the band to perform. “That kind of stuff pushes us so that we don’t let them down and have them think we’re riding on coattails. It’s been a very lucky thing as well. They don’t have to keep taking chances on a band they haven’t really heard before. With all these opportunities, we’ve had to put up or shut up.”

Greer described the first few months of the band as hectic, especially in terms of finding musicians who were able to fully commit to what the band would become.

“A lot of them might think, ‘Oh, sure you want to jam,’” Greer said about recruiting band members. “The music scene in Windsor is so tight-knit, I think people are always talking about jamming with everyone. So people don’t always take it with the sincerity that sometimes there is. It might just be drunk talk at the bar or lip service.”

The band has implemented a rigorous work ethic, sticking to rehearsal twice a week. “We need to make sure it’s an iron machine. We’ve been in bands where you practice once a month, but you can’t fly by the seat of your pants with a ten-piece.”

“With everything we’ve got going, I don’t think anyone can put this on the backburner and call it a side project anymore. I think we have to look at this as our primary thing to make it work We had to consider which one we put more time, blood, sweat and tears into, and the answer has become pretty obvious.” - The Lance

This Halloween weekend, there’s a monstrous mash-up of musical mayhem sure to raise enough ruckus to wake the dead. On Halloween night, one of Windsor’s newest bands take the stage at the FM Lounge; “The Unquiet Dead” gives voice to long-departed castaways, slaves, witches and silent spirits faded in time, yet still lurking in the murky underbelly of the dark woods.

Vocalist and percussionist Jamie Greer says, “Halloween just seemed to fit the idea, we want to speak for the voices beyond the grave that were suppressed or oppressed through generations before”, he explains, “We’re channeling the spirits that night to help make it an event”.

The Windsor audience got a preview of “The Unquiet Dead” earlier this month with their premiere performance opening for Yukon Blonde at the Capitol Theatre. Bassist Gary J. Van Lare says the band “jumped on the bill for the Capitol Theatre show because we thought it was a great opportunity to expose the band, and the audience and feedback we received was more than we could ever expect”.

A ten-piece ensemble including acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, accordion, mandolin, a collection of percussion pieces and several singers, it’s difficult to classify the band’s unique sound. Jamie describes it as “either the dust bowl players or the hobo symphony,” he explains, “because we have ten people it’s very orchestral, but at the same time the music we’re conveying is very loose and ragged, much like early roots and blues music.” Some of The Unquiet Dead’s many seasoned members also play with Surdaster, and have played as part of Magic Hall of Mirrors and Golden Hands Before God.

Their headlining debut at the FM Lounge (Fish Market, 156 Chatham Street) on Halloween night also includes opening sets by James O-L & The Villains and Zarasutra. Although they’ve chosen a frightful night to unveil “The Unquiet Dead”, they’ll be in keeping with the band’s usual funeral attire, “we have a uniform of sorts that we wear on stage, very simple, black.”

“We want the music to matter more than any gimmick or appearance. This is our first true show on our own and we want the music to be the focus, we don’t want people to focus on if there might be three clowns and an R2D2 on stage. We want people to soak in the music, we don’t want to be the background noise for a Halloween party,” Jamie says.

Jamie describes the unearthing of The Unquiet Dead. “It started as a project that Daren Dobsky and myself had an idea and vision for, so we started bringing in people that we worked with before or had a great musical respect for, and it turned out that the other guys we brought in were all great songwriters as well”.

The songwriting process is challenging but rewarding in a ten piece ensemble, “it’s more or less the skeleton of the song gets brought to the ten of us and everyone builds the muscles and tendons,” Jamie explains. “It’s a collaborative effort, everyone transfuses some of their own blood into the song”.

Bassist Gary J. Van Lare compares the band’s songwriting process to “you know, that scene in Hellraiser, the first one, where that drop of blood hits the floor then slowly the being forms again with the skeleton and the veins and the blood and the membranes and it becomes this… being.”

The Unquiet Dead is releasing a preview single of their first full length recording at Monday’s Halloween show, with only 25 copies available of “Lord Loves A Working Man” as the A-side, and “Hard Road” as the B-side. Although the preview single is in CD format, the band is looking ahead to releasing a 7-inch vinyl single. Their studio sessions are being captured on two-inch analog tape, which sonically lends itself to a perfect pressing on wax. Gary says, “recording analog, there’s not a lot of room for error, it gives a more natural feel, we’re going for that old time feel.” Gary illustrates, “it’s a great way to capture the sounds without that digital make-up, it’s really raw and soulful.”

The Unquiet Dead is working at Sharktank studios here in Windsor with producer Mark Planke, of whom Jamie says, “it’s been a great pleasure working with Mark, he’s pulling things out of us. He’s almost the unofficial eleventh member of the band.”

The band’s introductory spoken word piece Cracked Canoe reveals that “every soul has a tale to tell, every heart no matter how black has a song to sing”. Be sure to hear The Unquiet Dead as they resurrect ancient voices, bringing their silent songs to a howl on Halloween Night at the FM Lounge with special guests James O-L & The Villains and Zarasutra. - Windsorite.ca

This Halloween weekend, there’s a monstrous mash-up of musical mayhem sure to raise enough ruckus to wake the dead. On Halloween night, one of Windsor’s newest bands take the stage at the FM Lounge; “The Unquiet Dead” gives voice to long-departed castaways, slaves, witches and silent spirits faded in time, yet still lurking in the murky underbelly of the dark woods.

Vocalist and percussionist Jamie Greer says, “Halloween just seemed to fit the idea, we want to speak for the voices beyond the grave that were suppressed or oppressed through generations before”, he explains, “We’re channeling the spirits that night to help make it an event”.

The Windsor audience got a preview of “The Unquiet Dead” earlier this month with their premiere performance opening for Yukon Blonde at the Capitol Theatre. Bassist Gary J. Van Lare says the band “jumped on the bill for the Capitol Theatre show because we thought it was a great opportunity to expose the band, and the audience and feedback we received was more than we could ever expect”.

A ten-piece ensemble including acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, accordion, mandolin, a collection of percussion pieces and several singers, it’s difficult to classify the band’s unique sound. Jamie describes it as “either the dust bowl players or the hobo symphony,” he explains, “because we have ten people it’s very orchestral, but at the same time the music we’re conveying is very loose and ragged, much like early roots and blues music.” Some of The Unquiet Dead’s many seasoned members also play with Surdaster, and have played as part of Magic Hall of Mirrors and Golden Hands Before God.

Their headlining debut at the FM Lounge (Fish Market, 156 Chatham Street) on Halloween night also includes opening sets by James O-L & The Villains and Zarasutra. Although they’ve chosen a frightful night to unveil “The Unquiet Dead”, they’ll be in keeping with the band’s usual funeral attire, “we have a uniform of sorts that we wear on stage, very simple, black.”

“We want the music to matter more than any gimmick or appearance. This is our first true show on our own and we want the music to be the focus, we don’t want people to focus on if there might be three clowns and an R2D2 on stage. We want people to soak in the music, we don’t want to be the background noise for a Halloween party,” Jamie says.

Jamie describes the unearthing of The Unquiet Dead. “It started as a project that Daren Dobsky and myself had an idea and vision for, so we started bringing in people that we worked with before or had a great musical respect for, and it turned out that the other guys we brought in were all great songwriters as well”.

The songwriting process is challenging but rewarding in a ten piece ensemble, “it’s more or less the skeleton of the song gets brought to the ten of us and everyone builds the muscles and tendons,” Jamie explains. “It’s a collaborative effort, everyone transfuses some of their own blood into the song”.

Bassist Gary J. Van Lare compares the band’s songwriting process to “you know, that scene in Hellraiser, the first one, where that drop of blood hits the floor then slowly the being forms again with the skeleton and the veins and the blood and the membranes and it becomes this… being.”

The Unquiet Dead is releasing a preview single of their first full length recording at Monday’s Halloween show, with only 25 copies available of “Lord Loves A Working Man” as the A-side, and “Hard Road” as the B-side. Although the preview single is in CD format, the band is looking ahead to releasing a 7-inch vinyl single. Their studio sessions are being captured on two-inch analog tape, which sonically lends itself to a perfect pressing on wax. Gary says, “recording analog, there’s not a lot of room for error, it gives a more natural feel, we’re going for that old time feel.” Gary illustrates, “it’s a great way to capture the sounds without that digital make-up, it’s really raw and soulful.”

The Unquiet Dead is working at Sharktank studios here in Windsor with producer Mark Planke, of whom Jamie says, “it’s been a great pleasure working with Mark, he’s pulling things out of us. He’s almost the unofficial eleventh member of the band.”

The band’s introductory spoken word piece Cracked Canoe reveals that “every soul has a tale to tell, every heart no matter how black has a song to sing”. Be sure to hear The Unquiet Dead as they resurrect ancient voices, bringing their silent songs to a howl on Halloween Night at the FM Lounge with special guests James O-L & The Villains and Zarasutra. - Windsorite.ca

(Review of Dec. 3 show at Rancho Relaxo, Toronto, ON)

"Making their Toronto debut, The Unquiet Dead are on a musical quest to attain pure enlightenment. This cast of 10 musicians incorporate many styles into blues-infused Americana teeming with elements of folk, world music, gospel and psychedelia bolstered by a communal soul-hippie spirit-brimming with celestial harmonies, down-home guitars, and percussion-driven grooves. Essentially rooted in minimalist bluesy psych-folk channeled through the musical alchemy of a collective, The Unquiet Dead both embrace a revelatory spirit and an aura of mystery, creating music that’s strikingly original alongside a newfound sense of the past." - Lonely Vagabond