The Cantons

What Even Is A Canton?

About

"the appreciation we have for music is intimately related to our ability to that underlying structure of the music we like and to make predictions about what will come next." (Daniel J Levitin)

So what exactly is a “Canton?” The name came from a shared interest in Chinese food and specifically a hangout spot for Ethan and I, to which we soon brought Elliot to. After the formation of our music group, we found it only fair to name it just that because the place meant so much to us. The name for the meantime was temporary, but after sticking with it for a while- we were given a bit of a reputation and had inside jokes with people. We became the “Croutons,” the “Cartoons,” the “Cartons,” and a variety of misspellings that we couldn’t just abandon by changing the name.

Here is the Canton Restaurant, you can head downtown of Visalia and eat there. The food is really good and I highly recommend it!

And here is the youtube video for our band
https://youtu.be/D0jmywvVkqo

Influences

"For the artist, the goal of the painting or musical composition is not to convey literal truth but an aspect of a universal truth that if successful, will continue to move and to touch people even as contexts, societies, and cultures change."
("This is Your Brain on Music")

Beginning the band, the three of us, Ethan, Elliot, and I began to discuss our our biggest inspirations, idols, music tastes, and favorite artists. Because of each of us having our own distinct preferences, it inevitable that there would be a bit or disagreement on certain aspects we were wanting to incorporate. However, the process of this, was surprisingly filled with very little conflict as we realized we had the majority of the similar taste. Rather than dismaying what we couldn’t agree on, we collaborated and compromised on different characteristics to overall accommodate to a larger sound that would start off as a stable foundation. Later on, the boys and I concluded that expanding our targets would be the most beneficial for the learning part of playing and performing- but for the meantime, we drew pieces and portions of our favorite bands to try to find out what worked best for us.

When I first met Elliot Kempf, all he ever played were surf rock riffs from the 50’s. With the precise sound of the clean guitar filled with that rocking reverb, the tunes that he constantly repeated on his old fender jazzmaster, became a style that would soon be heard when we later started to write songs. The Ventures were an American instrumental rock band that formed in 1958. The quartet toured primarily during the 60’s and filled their venues with catchy and rather unforgettable melodies that never needed to be accompanied by any vocals or heavy affects. The simplistic sound station and lack of advanced technology, meant that what they had to offer was truly depending on the quality and skill that they were able to elicit from playing their instruments. Realizing this and taking more inspiration from older music, Elliot, Ethan, and I wanted to spend time on recreating that same feel. The one where a person could sit down and just enjoy a song without having trouble deciphering it- but also carry enough depth that would surely leave an impression.

I first was introduced to the Smashing Pumpkins because of my grandfather. While taking his time and cruising down back roads in his old truck, he would either blast his cd’s through the system or turn up the radio station which played alternative rock. This band was one of the groups that I can recall was an introduction to rock in general. Not only that, but former bassist D’arcy Wretzky was one of the reasons why I wanted to pick up and start playing bass after learning the guitar. With their debut album, “Gish,” the Pumpkins had pronounced their significance in grunge and psychedelic rock. Billy Corgan on guitar and vocals- the lyrics were metaphorical and provided support for their experimental instrumentals. Later albums, “Siamese Dream,” and “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” soon became iconic pieces that had defined the genre and rock in the 90’s, causing their to be a shift in direction for many upcoming bands who were wanting to follow in the same steps. The Smashing Pumpkins aren’t just a common name in rock, but a staple role in understanding the mechanics of each album and it’s characteristics, which is one of the most things I admire about these guys so much and try to take out in going through with writing our own material.

I have seen the Pixies twice live now, and for being around since the late 80’s, they have still managed to remain golden. Their alternative and indie sound, was a drastic change in comparison to the previous decade that just underwent heavy effects, techno-pop, and new-wave. Being a major shift in the pathway that was left of the 80’s, this dynamic group established their long stay in the genre along with their contributions. With softer, raw acoustics mixed with punchy bass-lines and distorted choruses, the Pixies were an incredible influence on us due to those factors. To add onto this, the vocals including Black Francais and Kim deal- created a unique mix with combining and harmonizing the masculine and feminine vocals. The group became extremely recognizable and popular from their most notble track- “Where Is My Mind?” This was one of the songs that we first covered as a band, but never really performed it; the progression of it was a prime reason why we took such a liking towards what the band had created as it included a little bit of everything and was a bit off-centered, yet very much ahead of their time.

Ethan’s favorite band is Surf Curse. My freshman year, all he did was ramble on about them to me, and I acknowledged that they were good, but after taking time to fully listen to the group, I found an incredible liking towards them as well. The American Indie/Surf rock band was formed in 2011and consists of Nick Rattigan (Ethan’s favorite person) and Jacob Rubeck (Ethan’s other favorite person). The band is almost a kudos to the older genre of surf rock, modernizing it and throwing a twist to it. Rattigan himself, is a remarkable individual and extremely talented for being so young. His work and craft often tell his struggles or ideas that would rather seem introverted, but because of their fast tempo and simple chord progressions, have gained quite the audience. The two went from being humble teenagers, to successful, humble adults. Their recurring themes of adolescence and insightful lyricism, have impacted the style that we wanted to emit without being carbon copies. I have found that there has actually been a resurgence in the genre because of groups like Surf Curse, which explains why they’re now getting the attention and recognition that they deserve.

Now one of Elliot’s favorite bands- is Pavement. They formed around 1989 and much like the Pixies- were exiting an era of overproduced music. To challenge this, the Pixies created a rather distinct sound that had no real technicality. Mainly focusing on instrumentals, the vocals of the band remained the same- a monotone almost talking like voice that was sustained throughout the song. Their simplicity was interesting and a breath of fresh air as there was nothing much to dwell on except the background and lyrical content. The softer acoustics and indie alternative sound proved to work well with them, and was a bit of a wakeup call that in some scenarios, less is more- and that’s exactly what it came to when creating an album for Pavement. Using this ideology, we sometimes created more intricate, cleaner, and obvious riffs that one can immediately identify, the rest of the factors only supporting our main feature.

One of my all-time favorite bands, is Weezer. I realize that I often talk about this particular group a lot and understand that it is not a personality trait to like Weezer...but I just really like them. I remember them being around for so long, because they kind’ve have been. Immediately finding success almost overnight with their debut album, the “Blue Album,” Weezer instantly became rock icons. Personally, my two favorite albums from them is this album along with their following album, “Pinkerton.” With the “Blue Album,” Weezer found their sound. It was majority alternative, but also had similarities with surf rock because of the clean effects of reverb- but had enough distortion to make them incredibly special. This work included the bands most popular and critically acclaimed songs such as “Say it Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Undone- Sweater Song.” Their next album, “Pinkerton,” was a much more heavier, grittier, and rawer side of the band. Their grunge sound and impactful guitar tone influenced the two perceptions I grew to enjoy both of Weezer. Admiring this and how versatile the band is enough to remain relevant for decades after, I aspire to have that much creativity and basically be Rivers Cuomo.

Another one of Elliot’s topics that he could go on and on about- is Ty Segall. Now Ty Garrett Segall is an unusual name, but most definitely fitting considering the type of person the guy is. Experimental, the 31 one year old is one of our biggest inspirations and influences when it comes to defining and structuring our sound to resemble what he managed to make out of his unique sound. The garage indie rocker has his own distinct which carries onto to what we were wanting to strive for. His fuzz, punchy riffs contributed to some of the stuff we wrote. The instrumentals and intricate vocals are some that are awfully hard to replicate- which is why we don’t want to do that, but at the same time would love to be that complex as a band.Stripping it down to a liking, our band has used Ty Segall as one of the basic fundamentals of characteristics we would love to incorporate. The underrated American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record produce has brought us to notice that going out of a comfort zone for trying new things within the genre and perhaps even outside, can help improve the musicality part of the Cantons on our half.

David Bowie has been one of the greatest influence to me thus far not only in the music scene, but in his creativity and mentality. His intricate glam rock of the 70’s, was apart of what no one had ever really seen before Due to his carefree and outgoing personality, the man was almost bound to be an iconic rock figure. Albums like “Hunky Dory,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “Low,” all impacted me in the terms of finding real concept pieces. I honestly adore concept albums, the story telling and how each song can perfectly transfer the plot from one to another. From Bowie, I learned the beauty that followed through just how complex an album can be. Not only was he apart of the “Glam Rock,” genre, but his musicality with combining instruments that would be more considered jazz- created something different and new from the era. His songs constantly featured the saxophone, which kind of made me regret picking up the flute instead of the other woodwind

Blog

November

Here was the invitation!

So the band as I mentioned, started off originally as an invitation for me to come fill in as a bassist for my friend’s “band.” No longer having the intended bassist to play, Ethan had offered the spot to me. Now after he explained the gist of it, I agreed. It was only going to be a simple birthday party that we would be performing at. Play a few songs, hangout, and then leave. The first day of practice was interesting, and that’s where I had met Elliot after long talk about him coming from Ethan. When I went inside of his room, the first thing I was hit with, was the amount of guitars and gear he had. Elliot then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes rambling on each one...and then rambled on about the flooring his house. The following few days, Ethan and I would walk down an alleyway to get to Elliot’s house. Since he takes COS classes, we would hangout waiting at his door. Discussing the songs we were wanting to play was when we found common interests and really began to know one another. And after hours of practice, we agreed on a collection of them, some from Weezer, Radiohead, Pixies, and a few others. It was a fun experience being able to finally play with other musicians, I got to hang around and play bass- but I had no intentions of singing. And that’s what they had me do. Never had I ever really done anything like that, but once I figured it’s only a birthday party- I got over the fear, slightly. And that was the start of what is now the “Cantons.”

Writing songs is drastically different when you’re not doing it by yourself. In 5th grade, I bought this notebook and wrote on the first page a threat just in case anyone wanted to read it. The book carried ideas for songs, chords and images to correlate with them once I found out that I really wanted to write music. This was when I started to develop my own distinct taste in music rather than listening to whatever was on the radio. And for the next few years I would jot down what came to mind, or record a certain melody to trace back to for later. Writing was calm and lonesome in my room. But writing with other people, can be chaotic. Organizing the brain, Daniel Levitin best explains this as "the reason our that chunking is important is because our brain shave limits on how much information they can keep track of." (201) This is primarily why we separate songs into pieces: verses, choruses, bridges. And often times the boys would be arguing about where these certain parts should be placed, or act somewhat passive aggressive- but other times would be calm and encouraging. There’s honestly no in between. However, we got work down and in the end, the three of us would nod and say “that’s not too bad..” for a first take. And then religiously play it over and over to memorize it. But we had no upcoming “gigs,” to play. That was until we considered playing at the Barrelhouse for their open mics.

It became a routine, every monday, tuesday, and thursday- we would come after to school to meet up at Elliot’s for band practice. Ethan and I would continue waiting by the door to see the Kempfs pull into their driveway, wave at them, and follow inside. We got to know each one of them too as we were hanging out more often. Elliot’s parents are insanely supportive and kind- I’m not sure that most parents would endure having teenagers play loud music and have it echo through the house, but they encourage it. Later we found out that Mr. Kempf used to be in the music scene himself, going to shows and helping out. How he would collect guitars and old vintage gear, but not utilize it as he didn’t know how to play. Then when he told us the story how he saw Weezer at one of their very first shows in a pizza parlor, we concluded that he was cooler than his son. Sorry Elliot. The funny thing is, Elliot hates Weezer. Ethan and I have been trying to get him into Weezer and we still are, but he has a vendetta against them because in his words, “Weezer is just off brand Pavement.” The three of us began having a blast covering songs and working together to find a sound, in which shortly came after we wrote our first song.

With a span of practices, we were starting to take things more seriously. Because of the underground local music scene that was sprouting in the valley, our priority was to join in and make something out of the band. December was when things really started to kick in. Elliot’s friends are mainly all in their 20’s and are involved with music and are in bands. Once, on our way walking downtown to the Cantons Restaurant, we were stopped by a dude in a car. Confused, Ethan and I were concerned- that is until the dude yelled out Elliot’s name and then parked his car and came out with a few other older dudes to walk with us. From there, we noticed that Elliot Kempf was “that guy.” The kid who practically knew everyone- which was how we got our first real experience playing in that music scene.

December

We were invited to play at our first house show with a few other bands. All of which who had been playing these types of shows for a much more longer time than us. Somewhere around january was when we played at ‘Eddie’s Going Away Party.’Eddie was yet again, one of Elliot’s older friends who stood in contact with a lot of bands from the area. He texted us about it and asked if we would like to play to which we said of course. When the day came, we headed over to Fresno, Ethan’s dad driving us there along with our other two friends, Nolan and Ethan. The house was small and cozy, but in the backyard there was another housing area, all the gear and lights were set up. Immediately we knew and could tell that we were the youngest ones there. At the time, I was still 15, Ethan 15, and Elliot 16. We recognized a few people that we had seen online through social media. This one girl, Cass- I had seen her at a small show at Strummer’s in Fresno, and then her profile on instagram. She had over 100,000 followers- alongside her friend, David. David came up to us with his vlogging camera and asked to film us...it was interesting to say the least, but he filmed our outfits- talked to us, and then later that night he recorded our performance and posted his video to youtube. Then with every party filled with barely legal adults, there came alcohol. A guy offered us some and we obviously said no because of morals, and plus Ethan’s dad was waiting in the car for us. The five of us stood together talking and noticed some other younger kids who looked around our age, maybe a bit older. Remember this, because I will mention them again later. When it came time to perform, we did a mic check and waited for the party to start. As the place filled up and became overcrowded, a number of people were having to wait by the doorway. We ended up playing around 20 minutes or so of music that were covers and some originals. I grew to be more comfortable with the crowd and performing. During one of our songs, I looked over to see people actually moshing and going crazy over it. It was wild- and we finished up our set and headed out after thanking everyone and Eddie for letting us play. Mr. Scholl took us to denny’s and we all ate there- then soon found out that the cops were called because of the party and we were thankful we had left when we did.

There were a number of bands who had played with us at the house show. Eddie invited a large amount of people- and along with that, many of the bands had invited their friends too. The area was packed and congested, everyone being uncomfortably squished with one another. In this image, you can see one of the bands playing and just the intensity and chaos that was going around.

I had been to the Barrelhouse a few times. The first time was to cheer on my friend at her performance for the open mic- and I wasn’t expecting there to be as many people as there were. So when the guys began to talk about playing for it, I was a bit terrified. I barely even sang at the birthday party without puking, the thought of there being a crowd filled with primarily all matured, older people- made me feel sick. After some convincing, I agreed to do it just for the experience. From there, we took the opportunity and ran with it. We weren’t guaranteed to be playing at other smaller venues or shows, we were just starting off and any place was a good place to work with. For the next few practices, we worked our tails off because the last thing we wanted was to go up on stage and look like clowns. The songs we chose to play were of course a Weezer song, “Say it Ain’t So,” and Link Wray’s “Rumble.” Since the open mics are the second tuesday of each month, that particular tuesday, I was an anxious mess during school and after it. I also listened to the songs in class to make sure I knew it in my sleep. After the school day, Ethan and I rushed down the alleyway to Elliot’s and we practiced until it was time to go to Barrelhouse. Signing up for a spot was difficult because there were already a lot of people wanting to perform, which caused us to go near towards the last. Our friends came to watch us and sat at a table trying to help me not freak out as I snacked worriedly on too many pretzels. When it came time to perform, I became a bit less antsy, and then I had to speak into the mic to pass time. I hate public speaking. It’s terrifying and I wanted to pass the mic to Elliot but I knew he would say something awkward and weird so I reluctantly talked and introduced ourselves, and then we began to play. To my surprise, we sounded pretty good. What shocked me even more was that I was no longer scared. I actually even looked out to the crowd and noticed people staring back at me- which made me less nervous. It was odd, and when we finished, I felt at ease- but also sick because of the pretzels and bright lights were getting all to me at once. That was the first time I “really,” performed- and the first time my mom and friends heard me play and sing. So it was an experience nonetheless and the beginning of growth for me.

Here is Nolan and I hanging out while I nervously ate those pretzels. As a PSA, Ethan Scholl did not die.

January

Here is also a collection of screenshots taken from the girl's video that I mentioned earlier.

Earlier we tore a piece of paper into three and scribbled down our small setlist filled out with songs we were planning to perform.

February

Around the night of our first house show, I was contacted by Eddie. He had complimented our music and gave us tips that we took to heart and thanked him for. His words of encouragement were promising and the three of us began to really strive to perform like that night again. Now this is where I bring up the band I had told you to remember. Those kids had their own group- The Dying Suns and consisted of four boys. Harry, the lead singer- texted Ethan the day before their show, asking if we could play with them for the following day at a brewery place in Clovis. Having the last minute notice- usually anyone would deny as its less than 24 hours to practice and put a set together But we were desperate for any type of show. Agreeing to it, we stressed the next few hours on what to perform. Saturday came and we had an all-day practice, playing for a few hours in the warehouse gym and waiting for Nolan to tag along with us again. Around 5:30, we left to Clovis for our performance. When we got there, we noticed that the venue was pretty small- but very nice. Meeting The Dying Suns for the first time, was interesting and we soon connected. When we performed first, I noticed that it was quite similar to the barrelhouse, except people were crowded more up close and in front of us, which slightly freaked me out. Elliot, Ethan, and I played a few of our songs and go-to covers before we were down and made our way out to watch our friends. And man, they were incredible. The stage presence, their music and talent blew us away. After their performance we talked, thanked them, and planned on keeping in touch.

Around a week or so later, we played at the Barrelhouse again. It was nothing very nerve-wracking as before because we were getting familiar with the routine. However, I usually always remain slightly anxious whenever it comes to doing anything publically, so just like last time, I ate pretzels in a very pressed manner. This time when we went up on stage, I felt more relaxed and confident, finding the exposure to be less stressful now that I was coming up with prior experience in performing in front of larger crowds. Playing wasn’t hard, we simply just did it and found more fun out of it than before. After our last song, a cover of Ty Segall’s “Finger,” one of the workers had quickly came up to stage to praise us before speaking into his mic; “Woah, did you hear these guys? Sounded like I was back in the 90’s at a garage grunge underground show!” Yeah, it was a pretty nice feeling to say the least.

March

Entering spring, the three of us had nothing coming up really. We didn’t play at the Barrelhouse for a few times, because of constant conflicts with outside school activities and school in general. During practice, we began to slack off because there were no shows coming up for us to stress over. After each performance, we would erase Elliot’s whiteboard and write a new list of songs to learn, write, and cover. However, the list was a bit dry. Finding this to be a problem and feeling antsy over it- Ethan suggested we throw our own house show. Now planning a house show is a long process. You have to find out how many people are coming, who is coming, who may happen to join to play, what food to get, what time, the place. For the most part it worked out pretty okay- except for a few qualities. Ethan created an image to promote the show, along with that he got one of our “friend’s” band to play- Pink Pill/The Illucids. The day of the show, Ethan’s house was filled with a few of our close pals- but once Pink Pill showed up, so did a few of their friends- and few other people, which resulted in a pretty big crowd for a show taking place in the living room. We had Pink Pill play first, their set was cool and the guys genuinely turned out to be nice. After they were done, we talked to them before setting up. Once it was time to play, the house was already filled with kids. Elliot started his guitar and we played song after song. Then we had our good friend “Ethan,” the one I had mentioned before, come up and jokingly sing a Weezer song for us. In reality he just danced and screamed the lyrics- causing everyone to laugh. As a gag, I hopped on drums to play and Ethan took my place to play guitar. Then during a break- they had me play my own song by myself. Absolutely terrified now because I had no one beside me or playing with me- I became a nervous wreck but managed to not pass out there. Later that night as the show died down- another band came over, and spontaneously played more hardcore jams, cussing, and screaming along with thrashing as Ethan’s parents watched in shock but fairly impressed in the kitchen. After that, the show was officially over and kids began to leave around 9:40. The cops came because of a noise complaint but after explaining with the adults, left us alone peacefully, and I was picked up feeling tired yet excited for what was next to come.

Here is an image capturing the moment of Ethan Lewis' iconic performance of Weezer's popular songs. I couldn't stop laughing whilst playing in the back, tears leaving my eyes as I was incredibly amused.

April

Last year, I went to a Weezer concert with my grandma and my cousin. This year, however, I was able to get tickets to go with my grandma again, my uncle, and Ethan. We had planned on seeing the band again live- and had been dying for the months upcoming to the concert. Since Elliot hates Weezer, he didn’t come...but Ethan and I absolutely adore them. We left early on a school day in order to drive up north and stay at a hotel before getting ready to watch the performance that night. As we headed over to the venue, we played Weezer in the car and messed around. The concert was amazing. Surprisingly, the guys played a few songs off of their early albums that weren’t expected, and Ethan and I sang through their entire setlist start to finish along with the two older guys behind us. They also played more songs off of their cover album, the “Teal Album,” rather than their own new album filled with originals and had been anticipated for the past 20 years, the “Black Album.” But it was okay, we screamed and laughed and sang regardless. After the concert, I was hit with realization that it would be a while until I would see them again, post- concert depression is real and hurts! As we waited in the car to get out of the parking lot, my uncle, Ethan, and I played “Chinese Fire Drill,” while some dude was hollering and laughing really loud being so amused by it. The next day, we headed out to IKEA and spent time there before driving to Berkeley to go to “Amoeba Music.” Going to a large venue and concert and seeing one of my favorite bands lay for the second time, was one of the most fun times I ever had and made me want to continue down the path of music even more.

My uncle took this picture of Ethan and I holding up the Weezer sign with our fingers before the show had started. I ending up tearing up as the band soon entered onstage.

May

The Visalia Showcase is an event which displays performing art acts, and Elliot was able to get us a spot for it. It wasn't until recently that they had made posters for promoting it.

As of right now, our band has had to come to a small halt as school is starting to end. We have not had as many practices or shows because of the stress of work and school and our lives outside of that too. It has been around 2-3 weeks since I last hung out and practiced with Elliot and Ethan, and now our dear friend Steven who we recruited to play bass so I could play guitar. However, we have been working independently on our own music and text them in the groupchat that we have, using that as a foundation to start off with something. We plan on picking up those Barrelhouse performances again, and are preparing for a Visalia Public Arts Showcase in July- but as of now, are trying to keep up with everything that is going on. I was honestly not expecting as much to happen out of this than what really did occur. At the beginning, I thought it was a one time event where I would play and then leave. But now that I have developed a true and long-lasting friendship with these guys, and have had them help me with my own struggles with my phobia of public speaking and performing, I can’t thank them enough. I’ve spent the past 8 months hanging out after school and on weekends practicing music, hanging out, and consuming sourdough bread and chocolate milk and yet I have never been more productive. I have always been very reserved, shy, and quiet- but because of all of this and the band- I know that there has been a drastic way in how I speak and carry myself. One of Daniel's most prominent quotes that stuck alongside me in his novel, "This Is Your Brain on Music," was "If music serves to convey feelings through the interaction of physical gestures and sound, the musician needs his brain state to match the emotional state he is trying to express." Throughout this journey, I have noticed the impact that many people and their work have left on me as an individual. I have been able to understand circumstances as they come and go, and have experienced the adrenaline of witnessing someone perform and do what they love. The connections I have built and the learning experience I have gained, have taught me how important music truly is to me- and I will forever be grateful for my best friends for being there beside me through it all.