Reviewed by: Sweet Bubs
Date:
December 16th 2003
As they hit the stage cormac stole the show. With catchy melodies and true emotion cormac conveys both honesty and real feeling which is lacking in much of the music released in today’s market. Lead singer Cormac Cleary’s presence on stage captured the audience’s attention as people from the back of the room made their way to the front. With captivating melodies along the lines of Coldplay and stage presence along the lines of Radiohead, cormac demands to be both seen and heard.
The band played an
array of styles ranging from upbeat songs with guitar and vocal hooks cutting
into the listener’s mind, to down-tempo moving songs which listeners can
relate to emotionally. The
memorable lyrics and melodic guitar hooks made cormac’s
songs a true pleasure to listen to.
The band’s energy and musical capabilities shone through as the most
simple beats and melodies were performed tight, and with a feel rarely matched.
Having the chance to speak with the band after the show, they conveyed a modesty and gratefulness that they were able to do “what they love” night after night. The members are a very tight group of guys who spent much of their time with me joking and having fun.
cormac receives two thumbs up, they truly have the ability to be the next big thing out of Burlington, a seeming “hot spot” for music producing acts like Finger Eleven, Jersey and Idle Sons. Keep your eyes and ears open for cormac, you won’t be disappointed!
Reviewed by: Ann Ferguson
Date:
December 12th 2003
Last month, over 150
bands across Hamilton and the surrounding area submitted their finest work to
radio station Y108 with the hopes of being selected as one of five regional
finalists in the Y108 Xtreme Band Slam
competition.
This annual band
search is connected to Canadian Music
Week, the premiere music industry conference and trade show that takes place
in Toronto every march. The Xtreme
Band Slam is one of the most anticipated events of the conference, as it
allows unknown or emerging artists to expose their talent and catch the
attention of high-profile industry experts.
Sixteen regional winners, representing their local radio stations,
advance from the local level to compete for the national grand prize, which
consists of over $50,000 worth of musical equipment and recording, mixing and
mastering time at a top studio.
With haunting melodies
and uncomplicated lyrics, cormac
were probably the most distinctive sounding group in the pack.
A real departure from today’s angst-driven rock, this five-piece has
been compared to Coldplay, something which frontman Cormac Cleary doesn’t
necessarily consider a bad thing.
The Xtreme Band Slam experience has definitely motivated cormac to forge ahead with writing new material and to continue mesmerizing and capturing new audiences at live gigs on the local circuit.