Were they from Abbotsford, Mission, or Langley!?
Did they play Thrash, Metal-core, or their own brand of indie rock?
All aforementioned genres and locales were represented at the tenth and final night of CIVL’s Battle of the Valley, where three bands were all guaranteed at least $200 in Long and McQuade gift cards, and a chance to get their own Music Videos from Tractorgrease Multimedia, Mastering from Five Acres Studio, and a band photo shoot from Jayme Anne Photography.
The odds were hard to call. Of five judges, there was one three way tie, and each band won over at least one judge.
Third Place:
Abbotsford Thrash-phenoms Merciful Angel
Second Place:
Mission Metal-Core Maniacs The Nacaals
The Champions:
Langley's Derrival, who will play the Squamish Music Festival in August!
The final chance to see who will represent the Fraser Valley’s best and brightest musical groups in CIVL’s ten week Battle of the Bands extravaganza!
After The Nacaals rocked Losses and Wild Card MG Graveyard out of the playoffs this past Saturday, it’s up to Chilliwack’s Empty After, Langley’s Derrival, and Abbotsford Wild Card Yes Men Jr. to decide the final band to make it into our deciding round and qualify for no less than $200 in gear!
Hrdwtr open with a stellar set!
The first set of curve-balls thrown at this year’s #CIVLBattle reared their awkward head in week 3 of round 1, which saw Aldergrove’s Hrdwtr, Abbotsford’s Poppy and the Pistols, and Mission’s The Nacaals, who replaced Surrey’s Kara Kata Afrobeat Group last minute due to a scheduling conflict.
The set-up made for excitement enough, with a surprise entry from the highest rated submission not originally included in the initial 18 band competition, as was pared down from the whopping 47 submissions CIVL received from bands across the Fraser Valley.
But as Randy Bauchmann famously said, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Though Hrdwtr performed admirably in their opening slot with no shortage of catchy and well orchestrated tunes, it was The Nacaals and Poppy and the Pistols who finished off the night with, of all things, a tie for first place!
Poppy and the Pistols; One of two week 3 winners!
Both bands will now advance to the playoff round, and all bets are off for what happens in the next three weeks of preliminary competition!
Surprise last minute additions, The Nacaals make out with a week 4 tie to move on!
Stay tuned for next week when Abbotsford rock quartet Minnesota Nice, Langley ska-punkers Guts and Glory, and Abbotsford post-hardcore virtuosos Losses square off in what is bound to be one of the barn burner nights in this first round of the #CIVLBattle!
]]>Come out and support your favorite band – who will it be?
Lonely Cave Kings Often compared to artists such as The Gaslight Anthem, The National, Kurt Vile, and Franz Ferdinand, Lonely Cave Kings are fast up-and-comers with a passion for creativity and a penchant for composing memorable music that will keep your toes tapping while reminding you what nostalgia feels like.
Casinos Casinos are Alex Vevers, Kier-Christer Junos, Zachary Keely, and Mitchell Trainor. A four-piece originally spawned from the hormone-soup that is high school, the members of Casinos know each other very dearly; their beloved project has gained a meaning beyond simply playing shows. This, is where life refreshes itself.
Old Mare Old Mare released Their EP,”YOU DESERVE MORE” in January of 2012. The project sat in the top 10 charts on CIVL for a number of weeks. Old Mare’s sound has expanded since the release and they look forward to sharing it with all their friends at the Battle of the Bands.
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Week 1 Winners Merciful Angel!
Merciful Angel will be facing off against two other playoff qualifiers at the end of June at UFV Abbotsford’s Aftermath. Which other two bands will fit this bill?
Stay tuned to find out!
This past weekend, local Abbotsford high school phenoms Yes Men Jr. shocked and awed the audience with their masked performance of psychedelic kraut-drone, disappointing the scenester faithful by finishing third behind runners up 7th Avenue, whose homegrown brand of good ol’ rock’n'roll coasted them into an easy 2nd place, just behind Week 1 champions, Abbotsford’s own Merciful Angel.
Mission's 7th Avenue!
Remember, every band still has a chance to make it into the playoff round through online fan voting, and we’ll let you know how that works as soon as you check back enough times!
So stay tuned and get ready to be the difference maker in this competition!
]]>Competing will be 7th Avenue, a rock and blues band from Mission, synth-punk trio Yes Men Jr. and traditional thrashers Merciful Angel, both from Abbotsford. Come out to hear some of the Fraser Valley talent and help them win industry prizes from Long & McQuade, Tractorgrease multi-media, Jayme Anne Photography, and Five Acres Studio.
Doors at 7, show starts at 7:30pm, $5 cover. All ages.
7:30 pm:
8:45 pm:
Founded in 2008, Merciful Angel has been tearing up the Fraser Valley scene. With a mix of all the older metal we love, with a somewhat modern approach Merciful Angel has a unique defining sound of it’s own. Releasing our e.p this summer , it’s gonna be a face melter.
Click Here to Apply Now!
The Battle of the Bands will begin in May, so check out the form below this poster to apply!
For any added questions or concerns, please contact sophia@civl.ca
Apply Now! CIVL's Fraser Valley Battle of the Bands
Click Here to Apply!
Prizes:
First Prize — $500 gift card for music equipment, 3 live video recordings at Tractorgrease, Band Photo Shoot from Jayme Anne, and 6 Songs Mastering
Second Prize — $300 gift card for music equipment, 100 pins
Third Prize — $200 gift card for music equipment, 100 pins
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ABBOTSFORD, B.C – CIVL Radio and Birds of Canada host Adam Roper played host to open mic night at UFV Aftermath on Wednesday January 31, 2013. The all ages event was open to students and non-students all over the Fraser Valley. Locals watched performances ranging from ukulele, fiddle, poetry and duets. Host Adam Roper and CIVL station manager Aaron Levy performed some of their own pieces to the large crowd.
Open mic night will continue on the second Wednesday of every month at UFV Aftermath. The next open mic event will take place during reading break on February 13, 2013 at 7 pm. Come check out local talent or perform at our next open mic!
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Every month following for the semester, the second Wednesday of the month will be host to the open mic that will give UFV students an opportunity to showcase their talents and workshop their ideas with new and old friends alike! Participants are encouraged to collaborate, come with a partner, perform their own work, or just get to know other artists, performers, and CIVL members or volunteers, all while having an open mic good time!
There will be two microphones set up for all to use, but please bring your own instruments if you expect to play as an ensemble or group.
Contact music@civl.ca or info@civl.ca if you’re interested in receiving more info about these events!
Upcoming CIVL Open Mic Nights at Aftermath Hosted by Adam Roper:
Wednesday, January 30th, 7 pm
Wednesday, February 13th, 7 pm
Wednesday, March 13th, 7 pm
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