For the last few years, I’ve had the great pleasure to be invited to Westside High School in Orangeville to spend a day coaching student rock bands.

In early April, I went to Westside and worked with a couple of really talented groups, helping them prepare for the ODSS Battle of the Bands, which took place on April 17^th.

Each high school in the Upper Grand School Board has the opportunity to send a band from their school to a board wide BOTB held at J. F. Ross High School in Guelph. I was asked to help decide which of the 2 eligible bands from Westside would go to play at Ross.

There were three bands from Westside – Mazel, Eye 45, and Ultraviolet – performing at the O.D.S.S. Battle of the Bands. In order to be considered for the board wide event at Ross, bands needed to play an original song, which eliminated Ultraviolet from consideration.

Mazel are a three-piece rock band that sound kind of like the White Stripes with the tone and heaviness of the Melvins. Guitarist and vocalist Sophia’s riffs are heavy, rocking and sludgy, drawing on blues patterns played at volume with a lot of tone and attitude. She’s a commanding vocalist, who isn’t afraid to let her voice break up into a Cobain-ish wail. Their material is dark and brooding, with one memorable song called CWD, introduced as “a song about zombie deer.” Kia on bass and Kieran on drums are an tight rhythm section, locked in but not afraid to go beyond the expected, and seriously heavy.

Eye 45 are another three piece band, with Shawn on guitar and vocals, Frank on bass and vocals, and Kieran (also of Mazel) on drums. Their  song Bottom Bluff is a super catchy power-pop rocker, and has been in my head since I first heard it. Frank has a compelling voice, and delivers the vocals with urgency. The vocal  melody of Bottom Bluff is a simple pattern of notes that creates rich harmonic complexity against the chords. The song is in the key of D, and the vocal melody begins with the 5^th and then 3^rd notes of the D chord – but sung over top of a G chord, to make a major 9^th and then major 7^th. It’s immediately memorable, sounding both wistful and somehow optimistic, which mirrors the tone of the lyrics. Shawn is a great guitar player, and a natural on stage with a kinetic energy that’s thoroughly engaging. And Kieran is an amazing drummer no matter what band he is playing, he hits hard and with unfailing accuracy. Eye 45 are catchy and super fun to watch.