Sandra Sperounes, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Friday, November 24, 2006

There's no shortage of awesome local artists.

From Cadence Weapon to Ten Second Epic, we're blessed with one of the most vibrant music scenes in the country.

There is, however, a shortage of hours in the day -- making it impossible for fans to go to every gig or journalists to write about every band.

So, inevitably and unfortunately, some artists fall between the cracks -- especially those who tend to be more experimental and, thus, less likely to appeal to fans of, say, Hinder or Black Eyed Peas.

Local Push Pins promoters Cecil Frena and Justin Loyer want to shine a light in some of those crevices with tonight's Edmonton Indie Unscene at Avenue Skatepark, 9030 118th Ave.

The gig features four unsung local acts -- Desiderata, Snic, Red Hot Daggers and End Credits.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Tix are $8.

"There are people who are very excited about a lot of what's happening in Edmonton and rightfully so," says Frena, who also fronts Snic, a band with a penchant for shifting time signatures, screamy/soft dynamics and psychedelic song titles.

"Then, there are people who are feeling frustrated and think there's nothing really interesting happening. There are a lot of acts who are doing something entirely different and totally off the radar. This show is not exhaustive, by any means, but it's an attempt to bring an awareness to the genre you might loosely call 'caustic indie-rock.' We want this to be more of an event, for people to come the whole night rather than to see their buddy's band and buzz off."

If Desiderata doesn't have much of a profile in Edmonton, it's only because the musicians moved from Fort McMurray less than six months ago.

The trio's punk debut, filled with jittery guitars, hand claps, frantic bass lines and screams, will be released by Edmonton's newest label, Champion City Records. Fans of ex-local faves, The Wolfnote, will be instantly smitten.

"The scene is great here," says singer/guitarist Blair Drover. "I wasn't expecting the response that we've had. It's been very supportive."

Red Hot Daggers are the veterans of the Indie Unscene bunch -- having formed 10 years ago as Lime. Their first record of punchy, yet hypnotic, noise-rock will also be a Champion City release.

"The greatest success our city can have is through co-operation," says Red Hot drummer Taylor Schaerer.

"It seemed like a period in the '90s where everything was competitive. I liked playing with my band, but I wasn't as excited about seeing other bands. They were playing to upstage you -- everyone wanted to be the best band of the night.

"Now, bands are legitimately friends and they're excited to see each other. I think that's really positive."

BLOOD, MYSPACE AND DEARS

Count S.J. Kardash as yet another satisfied MySpace customer.

His Saskatoon indie-rock group, The Blood Lines, ended up touring across Western Canada with vocalist Murray Lightburn and The Dears because of the networking site.

"I sent them a MySpace message," says Kardash. "Then, I heard through the grapevine that we were opening for them. I was like, 'What? That can't be true.' So I called the agent and he said, 'OK, we just confirmed it.' I guess it came down to Murray's decision and he picked us. It's really super flattering."

The Blood Lines also managed to get their first gig in New York via MySpace. It led to a second show -- during the CMJ Music Marathon in October -- where the foursome hooked up with the same Toronto law firm behind Sum 41 and Nelly Furtado.

"It's awesome," says Kardash. "It's nice to work towards something and see you're accomplishing goals."

The Blood Lines and The Dears perform Saturday at the Starlite Room.