Music, Webs, Addictions...

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a do-it-yourself type of guy. For years I have always taken on large projects, sometimes bigger than I can handle on my own. Often this leads to me getting frustrated and too bogged down to finish or it just takes forever to get it done. I released a solo album in 2006. I worked on that album off and on for nearly 8 years. And ever since finishing it all I have wanted to do is start over and do it better this time.

I'm also the type of person that likes to figure things out, I hate being stumped. My current project is redesigning www.wornrecords.ca, including this blog, The Steamroller. I recently changed careers from seller of electrical supplies to search engine optimization guy. Now I know you're saying, "What? Music isn't paying the bills?" I know it's hard to believe, but me, like most musicians have a bad, bad addiction. No, not heroine. Not cocaine, booze, meth, or pills. We are addicted to our art. It's who we are, and not something we can change even if we wanted to. Many try to rid themselves of the music demon, but ultimately they end up back in the same place, or the same but different, simply reinventing their art or the situation in which they create. The lucky ones who do kick the habit end up simply replacing one addiction with another making themselves believe that they're addicted to the lesser of two evils.

What's my point? This web site. I am not a web designer by trade, but I have picked up many skills in my current occupation, as it does relate. I have wanted to redesign www.wornrecords.ca for quite some time now, but it's always been a few notches down on the priority chart. I now find myself in a state where this redesign is at the top of my project list and it's been a pretty eye opening experience. I find that I am just as addicted to finishing this project as I have been to other past music projects. I suppose I currently fall into the replacing one addiction with another category. I would say that the new site is going to be very cool. It started as a plan in my mind, and I have slowly been creating it. Much like the way I write music, I end up with too much going on in my head at any given time and it usually takes me stepping away from the project to get some clarity.

In any case, it's going to get done and it's going to kick ass. I hope to be showing it off pretty soon!

Testing 1,2,3,.....

This is a test, this is only a test. Please be advised that The Steamroller will be back up and running very soon. I am currently working on a new design for Worn Records and "Steamroller Music" as it will now be called. I will once again be looking for writers, readers, and bands to involve themselves with this indie music blog. I will not be bringing back the "indie band showdown", at least not right away. I will however be looking for bands of quality only to participate in some new features I will be rolling out on this web site. I will post more details in the near future. Thanks to those of you who have been involved with The Steamroller in the past, and I look forward to making Steamroller Music an excellent resource for bands and music lovers alike!

John Simmonds - Worn Records

Festival Of Guns

Earlstown Winter will be playing as part of SPM Music's annual Festival Of Guns. Check out the show on Friday November 16th at The Railway club, 579 Dunsmuir St
Vancouver, BC. Show starts at 9:00pm.

Earlstown Winter

new format for the roller

Hello Steamroller reader. That is if that last reader is still even around, either way... So since The Steamroller has been inactive due to a number of different reasons, I have been forced to take a look at a new format for this blog. I have considered a few options as in, celebrity nude photo's and gossip, questions & answers regarding steamrollers, Micheal Vick - from a dog's viewpoint, or maybe even a page dedicated completely to Nickelback, and who they had blow for their success. Now these are all awesome ideas, but after much deliberation at the latest Steamroller board meeting with me and myself (I was on vacation), I have decided to go with a more personalized, traditional approach to this blog. Although this blog was originally designed to feature up and coming bands, and report indie music news on behalf of my indie record label Worn Records, that is going to slightly change as well. I will still report relevant indie music news, and do reviews for bands, but not as regularly. I plan on simply writing about a wider variety of topics. Whatever comes to mind that day. It could be music related. It could be about my record label, or about any of my bands, or projects I'm working on. Or it could be about the weather, or sports, or politics. I don't even know for sure yet. All I know is that I generally have a lot to say, so I may as well dump it on my blog. And until I can run and maintain a proper music blog, i figure this is the best way to go.

So anyway, thanks for your patience during this transitional period here at The Steamroller, and thanks to all the bands who have participated in the Indie Band Showdown over the last year. Feel free to continue sending me music to check out, but I am going to reserve publishing any reviews for bands and artists that leave a real lasting impression. Laters!

John Simmonds

Willis In My Head

Former Vancouver, B.C. power pop/rock/punk/ska explosion, Willis, is currently working on a 10 year anniversary album, so to speak. They have been "on hiatus" since 1999, but have recently felt the need to re-record their back catalogue and release it as a complete album once and for all. This semi popular local band had the potential to break through, but never quite pulled it off before disbanding, and moving on to many other projects over the following decade. They released a couple of e.p.'s including 1998's "Steamroller" which drew some significant attention.

The songs are catchy and infectious and at times, even a bit quirky. Fronted by the fun, easy going lyrics of Amy Ferguson, and a rhythm section that powers it's way to the fore front, Willis is timeless. The back catalogue sounds as relevant today as it did 10 years ago, and this upcoming album is a sure thing.