We're Back :)

This is Levi.. It's been a while since we last connected. I've been doing the school thing this year, learning a tonne about music, but forgetting what it's like to actually play it. I want to play shows, I want to practise with my boys, I wanna tour, I wanna eat ice cream (actually I've been doing quite a bit of that here, to the tune of ten extra pounds..) I just hate sitting in a room and learning about something that I was already happily doing before-hand.
So I was reading about the Christian music industry and, like the rest of the music industry, it's dying. Go down-loaders! Ah, it's the world we live in.. But I stumbled across a quote that I really loved and that shed some light into the whole dreary situation. John J. Thompson in Christianity Today said, "The lack of monetary benefit has filtered out some of the people who should not have been doing this in the first place. If the people who are in it for the money are gone, it leaves more turf for those who had something a little bit loftier in mind."
So there you have it. Us guys who are willing to lose money playing shows are faced with a market that's got a little more room. I'll keep losing money till the day I die. This is what I'm made to do (the music part. Not the losing money part. ... I hope..)

I'm thinking about album two these days, and it's caused me to put album one into perspective. Would You Go is my testimony. It wasn't built for radio hits, rock-ability, background music or any of that stuff. It's my story, written by a beginner guitarist with four chords and the honest truth.

Enter album two. I've got the gents back on board and we even have a new guy potentially joining the gang. This album will be a team project with everyone providing their input. It's not about my story anymore, but the stories of others. We're in a fun situation because we have no label telling us what we can or cannot do. Nobody's worried about how much money this thing makes because I fund it and I don't really give a hoot about money. We want to make good music, we want to please God with what we've been given, we want to be proud of this album and we want ice cream. I'm going to go to my freezer and solve one of those wants right now.

So there you have it. We're back into this, and we're happy you're with us. We have a concert this Saturday night at a little church in Orillia. The info is on our events page. We're bringing in the professional gear and we're going to blow that church away. We really want to see you there if you're in the neighborhood. It's for a really good cause, and I'd love to see their expectations get blown away. I missed you guys :)

-Levi

Hey Folks,

So I have been immersing myself in some pretty interesting music lately. I downloaded the Beatles Love album about a 2 weeks ago and I have not been able to stop listening to it. It's incredible what they did to music, and I know we all say that loosely, but its sooo true. As a drummer I have been studying Ringo Starr's techniques and he did some pretty cool things during his career... believe it or not.

I think most people can at least say that they like or respect the Beatles for what they did to music. I personally love them and think that music would be music worse without them. But I am interested in what Beatles songs people like the most. Because to those who know the Beatles well, the responses seem to be different from one another. Personally, I love their songs "Something", "Within you, without you", "Blackbird", "Lady Madonna", "Come Together" and "Back in the U.S.S.R."... oh and of course "Hey Jude"

I guess what I am trying to say is... dust off your parents old records (or you're if you're old enough) and listen to some classics, it'll teach you a few things modern music can't and also show you how modern music came to be. Thank you Beatles,

Trevor

Hallelujah Radio Play!

Hey, it’s Drew here.

I just wanted to post an update regarding the radio play of “Hallelujah”. I know most of you are aware that we are being played on life 100.3 in Barrie because many of you are from that area, but I have a lot of family and friends that live outside their listening area.

If you are one of these people than this post is for you. The following is a list of all the radio stations currently playing our single. It’s a growing list so check back and I’ll try and update as the single becomes more popular.

Life 100.3
100.3 (Barrie, ON)
90.1 (Owen Sound, ON)
89.3 (Peterborough, ON)
98.9 (Huntsville ON)
Joy 1250 (Toronto, ON)
CHRI 99.1 (Ottawa, ON)
KFM 95.5
95.5 (Sudbury, ON)
102.1 (Little Current, ON)
102.5 (Elliot Lake, ON)
103.5 (North Bay, ON)
Power 93.7 (Medicine Hat, AB)
KAOS 91.1 (Fort McMurray, AB)
Life Radio 107.5 (Blackville, NB)
CHVN 95.1 (Manitoba)
Free 100.3 (Manitoba)

So, If you’re a fan of the single (and I’m assuming you are since your on our website) and you live in one of these areas, hopefully you’re listening to one of these stations and will be able to hear our single from time to time. Maybe you can even call in and request it!!!

We really appreciate the support of all these radio stations spreading our single and their willingness to support local music, and local worship leaders. Also keep listening because we will be release our second single from ‘Would You Go’ in the near future.

By the way, Where are you from?
(post in comment section below... it's easy, give it a try)

Recovery....

It is funny how many things we take for granted.

This last week I was sick with the influenza, the actual kind... not the one we call in and tell our boss we have just to get out of work. I am talking the real thing. And while I was sick and watching discovery channel I quickly realized how lucky I am to actually be healthy (Aside from the symptoms I was feeling). The whole week I could barely talk and barely eat anything. This gave me a great appreciate for my esophageal peristalsis (swallowing food).

We often don't realize the gift we have... not just that we can swallow food, but the gift of mobility and the gift of thought and speech. Some of us out there are not as lucky. Recovery is long but it is certain and I am thankful for those of you who prayed for me but lets all be thankful for the health we have and pray for those who don't have it.

Thinking like this puts things into perspective and sometimes we need to get sick and lose simple privileges in order to see it. Jesus went through more crap than I could even imagine... not eating in a desert for 40 days while being annoyed by the devil... thats gotta suck. But he still lived a life that never stopped serving others and he never complained. I have a lot to learn.

So I have been listening to a lot of mellow acoustic music lately, I guess the emergence of spring is slow going and my energy and momentum is slowing down as winter lingers on... So my music reflects. I am really into some of the folk-acoutic stuff out there. So here is something I am listening to right now... Kings of Convenience From Norway... and yes the one lead singer does look like Napoleon dynamite... I know.

Trev

Hello :)

Hello :)

This past sunday we had the honour of leading the worship at Connexus Orillia. It's always fun playing with the group we got, whether leading worship or in performance, but it is especially fun when we are doing so in a movie theatre! Due to the great acoustics, i was allowed to keep my bass amp at a tasty level. Drew had the same privilege (with his AC15) as i did and i believe he was pretty enthused about it as well, and Trevor beat the snot out of the drum kit as usual along with Levi rockin' the vocals/acoustic guitar :)

The church was very welcoming and responded well to the call to worship. A really encouraging morning.

That is all for now. Back to studying :(

Matt.

P.S. I've really been digging Bedouin Soundclash lately! Most have heard their old single 'Walls Fall Down' but they got some other beauties as well! Night!

Heyo!

What is up?

So I finally got all my drum pieces I ordered... it feels incredible getting new stuff for your instrument... its like Christmas all over again. Anyways, I thought I would give a review on my new-found stuff for you musicians/drummers, and people just interested in knowing whats the best stuff to get.

Personaly I have been drumming for the better part of 12 years or so and I have used a very wide variety of drums... Pearl, Ludwig, Tama, Yamaha, Sonor, Gretsch and U-Drum. Each of these companies have great stuff, but the Bar (for me) has been set incredibly high by Gretsch. Seriously.... these guys have been making drums before we were making cars... 125 years ago! When I bought my Gretsch set about a year ago, it was love at first sight and I can honestly say I will probably never buy anything but Gretsch (with the exception of endorsements ofcourse... lol). The tone quality from the Ash wood projects very clearly and has a crisp quality to them. They have the sound quality of a $2,000+ drumset at a fraction of the price. 10/10

I also recently bought the Gibraltar stealth racking system. It is hard to explain what exactly it is but I basically eliminates cymbal stands and the clutter that comes with setting up mic stands. Example -------->

It is a brilliant innovation for drummers and ESPECIALLY for churches because it removes the clutter from cymbals and mic stands (especially when your using a shield) and it makes setup and tear down much faster. Cymbals and other stands like snare stands can attach right into it eliminating the tri-pod stands for each, giving more room and faster set up times... and for me thats GREAT NEWS.

I know this post might not be useful or everyone, but I wanted to give some advice to musicians out there and also to worship leaders who might need some ideas for new merch to purchase. I like to pretend I know what I am talking about... so thanks for listening.

Like always, here is what I am listening to right now... Fleet Foxes new debut song for their album "Helplessness blues" which comes out May 3rd and is also the title of the song. It is amazing and I strongly suggest you check out the link.

-Trev

Gotta' love the Edge!

A good friend of mine and I were watching some U2 the other night. I had never seen or heard a live version of 'Bullet the Blue Sky' so i was just thankful to see one, but then the Edge busts into this bluesy solo that i thought was unheard of in U2's music!!Anyways, this is just an awesome video showcasing the different solos the Edge has performed in 'Bullet the Blue Sky.'
Enjoy :)

Matt...

Goosebumps from the guitar lick alone :)

Check this song out! It's one of those that give me goosebumps right from the beginning alone. The kind of song you could listen to over and over again!

Matt :)
P.S thanks for voting for us :)

Melodies from the cage.

So contrary to popular belief there are more members to this band. BUT, judging by the recent blog posts I can see why this fact might be a little hard to believe. (Hahaha, Matt, you talk alot! lol)

So this has been a crazy week, I finally got around to purchasing some new musical hardware for my drums. It broke the bank a lil bit but I am set now.... well for now. I picked up a cool thing I have never used before. It's called a Percussive rack system. Basically, it removes the clutter of cymbals stands, especially when you use plenty of cymbals and you mic your drums. It's gonna be sweet.

I also had a challenging week at work, stressful but good. I have had the opportunity to plant small seeds in couple of the youth and share with them about my faith. It is cool to see what God can do with people who don't think they can do much. I think back to the burning bush with Moses... anyways...

I have also been listening to a lot of music lately, and this wouldn't be a blog post by me if I didn't try and shove new music down your ear canals. OBSERVATION: I find music to be a lot like food. Sometimes you don't like things until you eat them a lot then it grows on you. Well, Jonsi is an artist that did just that for me. He's some Icelandic dude so sings really high... its kinda like orchestral and marching band music on crack. Sounds awful but its kinda cool.




I thought I would drop a line and Say hello, it's been awhile and I miss you all. I promise the future will provide times inwhich we'll reunite. We've got some big stuff comin' up that you won't want to miss. Like:

Feb. 5th, Mapleview church in Barrie. More details on Facebook.

And a Worship night at Heritage.... Date is TBA

Peace out.

Trev.

That's the bassist.

Is 2am too late to practice bass with headphones on? I didn't think it was, but when you're rooming with Levi denBok...

I had just finished reading a chapter of a book called 'Unceasing Worship' by Harold M. Best. This was for our thursday morning class 'Theology of Worship.' At this time i was also enjoying some peanut-butter(crunchy for all who need to know) right out of the jar, this was excellent by the way. I knew i didn't have to be up early the next morning so i decided i would plug in the bass, with headphones of course, at this point it was about 1:30 am, no biggie for a college student. I had just started to get into it...then i feel a tap on my shoulder, i turn around and see my roommate sitting up on his bed attempting to not look disgusted at my actions and at their time of occurrence (2am)...

At this point i actually did feel some remorse, but i have to pass some of the blame on to a few good friends, John Shin and Greg McKay, who interrupted us while we were ACTUALLY doing homework a few hours earlier. I had planned to practice bass earlier on in the night but that plan quickly changed. (these 2 dudes are pretty awesome, but the 4 of us together do not get too much work done lol)

So my bass practice was cut short, and the last words i heard that night were from our very own Levi denBok, 'that's my bassist.'

Matt. :)

P.S Vote for 'Hallelujah' for Toronto's JOY1250 New Canadian Countdown!!!
Here is the link :)
http://newcanadiancountdown.com/
:)

What Matt is watching.

Pino Palladino, great bass player, played with the likes of the Who, John Mayer Trio and more. Since he's pretty great, Fender designed a custom shop bass designed specifically for his liking. This video is a demo of that bass guitar and an awesome bass groove, The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin.
Enjoy :)
Matt.

Awesome truth!

Older song maybe? But one of those songs full of so much truth :)
Enjoy :)
Matt.

BlueRay!

My brother got my parents a blue-ray player for Christmas and at first i was like 'do we really need a clearer picture than DVD?', and i still hold to that. But I figure while i'm at home still i can be self-indulgent and enjoy 'Gladiator' in BlueRay haha. Bass practice has been put on hold until i'm back in dorm haha.


Peace out
Matt.

Digging this group!!!

enjoy :)

Holidays almost over :(

Sadly, what has been such a blessing, that is my three weeks of holidays, are almost over :(
They started out on a crappy note, but stuff happens, that is life. But, they got much better very quickly! I got to see my brother and his wife and their 6 month son Jacob (who is the cutest baby ever lol). Had some fun doing donuts in my brothers 'sooped' up Subaru, watched lots of movies and drank tons of french press coffee :)
It was great to see family and just to have time to chill. I was hoping to read lots of C.S. Lewis and lock myself in my room and learn how to 'pop and slap' on my p-bass...sadly, this did not happen and i took many naps instead :)

I did have the privilege of getting some AWESOME new cd's and concert dvd's(these are my favourite!)! Norah Jones, John Mayer, Miles Davis, Brooke Fraser, White Stripes!! That is one thing about me, i don't know if anything excites me like a good, new cd or concert dvd lol
Levi and I also had an awesome time participating in a few worship events that were a huge blessing. Tons of practice put into these but it always helps in reminding that service to the Lord is not always easy. These also were awesome reminders of how much i need Jesus in my life!!!! God uses those broken times in our lives to teach us lessons that are so necessary for us to grow as followers of Him!
On a random note, but connected to my previous comment, check out Misty Edwards, awesome worship cd. I bought one of her cd's titled 'Relentless' and it has been such a blessing to me after only days of owning it lol.

So back to school in a few days...i'm looking forward to practicing bass in my room and getting stretched musically by our awesome music teacher Doug Thompson but not to the hours of reading textbooks haha...

If you got to this point it means you suffered through my a.d.d and i commend you for that :) lol
Back to C.S. Lewis, Brooke Fraser (awesome artist!!!) and maybe some french press coffee ? That is a good night :)


Matt a.k.a Kobe :)

btw, i am a snobby coffee drinker, so the picture above does not depict how i actually drink my coffee. I drink it black the way it is supposed to be, Levi on the other hand...1 cream 1 sugar and a hazelnut shot?!?! Can you get anymore girly? ;) Love you brother haha

Sitting back and contemplating...

Hey Guys,

So I was sitting back and thinking about many a things.... And I have to admit that last week I was feeling a little nervous about meeting with the boys this week and writing new stuff. I was afraid that we'd not be able to come up with anything new or interesting. Not that I think poorly of my other fellow bandmates... NOT AT ALL. I just know how musicians, especially those without the help of expensive producers tend to fall into the realm of repeats. I know that I am also known for having weird tastes in music but I just had strong thoughts and opinions that we needed to change our approach to writing music. After much discussion with the guys and contemplative thought we had resolved many of my worries. Blah blah blah... "What are you trying to get at?" you might be saying...

I am trying to say, that after our short 3 hour jam session, I can say that there are going to be good... no Great things coming from us in the coming days. We are working on at least 2 new songs and I have to say that they certainly are pushing the limits of our musical boundaries and forcing us to think outside the box. I am very excited about this new stuff and where God might be taking it. Trying new things and building upon what we're good at, also building off of influences we have and refusing to label ourselves this or that and letting our music "label" us.

Anyways, I hope this was enlightening for you guys and hopefully excites you to see what the future holds. Thank you for listening and thank you for your on-going support and prayers.

P.S. We got a show in Barrie on Feb. 5th... more details to follow, hope to see you there!

Trev

One Semester Down

Well, I'm looking in the rear view mirror back at my first semester of post-secondary education and it was a wild ride. I finished a cd, threw some release parties, celebrated two and a half years with Amanda, nailed my midterms, discovered the parts of me that need to change, failed as often as I succeeded, struggled with pride and jealousy and learned that I have a long way to go and a lot to take in. So far so good. I just finished my last exam this morning and they didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but my circumstances weren't ideal.
For those of you who don't already know about this crazy snowfall let me just tell you... There was snow, and it fell, and it just didn't stop. We closed Blue Mountain on account of too much snow, which has never happened before as far as I know. The roads were all closed, the plowmen were working quadruple overtime and we were trapped in a winter-wonderland. Matt and I had gone home this past weekend to play at an AIDS awareness concert and we were scheduled to head back on Sunday. Sunday came along and the snow was blowing pretty good, so I took the advice of many and decided to wait it out.
Needless to say, three days later, and two exams later the wind finally dies down and we decide to make a break for the sun. We load up the car and hit the back roads because 26 is shut down. As we're traveling along airport road a big truck comes up the hill towards us. It was one of those situations where the grooves in the road where the snow had been worn down and you were expected to drive in, yeah those grooves, well they were pretty well in the middle of the road. I pull out of the grooves to give this truck space to get by and my little cavalier loses traction and starts to slide.. I look over at Matt and say, "So when we get back do you maybe want to hit up McDonalds or something?" He responds, "Nahh man. I've been looking after myself lately and I've got to keep this thing in pristine condition.."

..

It actually sounded a bit more like, "We're going to crash dude.." followed by more swerving, and eventually ending in my car face first in a big snow bank. We laugh a bit (nervously..) and I flick on the windshield wipers to fling off the mountain of snow. We reverse back onto the road and begin driving again. At this point I still have the equivalent of Blue Mountain piled up on the hood of my car (and like it's counterpart it was also closed to skiers this day) and everything just hit me. I lost control of that car.. Could have easily spun the other way and lost my bro. He wouldn't let me stop tho so we kept going.

Only to arrive at school and here one professor say, "If I had my way I'd fail you!" Fair enough.
People bug me.

If I don't see you beforehand, have a merry Christmas :)
Also, give Matt a hug (He'll love it)
Levi

Top 10 Best Songs/Albums of 2010... according to me

So everyone knows that the drummer of the band usually has impeccable tastes in music and constantly shapes the band through their immense understanding of the dynamics of sound. Well the case is no different with the Levi Denbok Band.... more like the Trevor Walker band. Hahaha, ok all jokes aside. I decided that I would enlighten the world and all daily active users of my divine tastes in music and what I think are the best albums and songs of 2010.

*Disclaimer*

These songs are from a diverse background of various genres and may not reflect the musical tastes of the entire band, even though they should. Listeners of these songs are subject to their own opinions however; those opinions are most likely wrong.

Albums:

1. "Ellipse" by Imogen Heap

Imogen's latest album fuses so many styles and genres together and actuallymakes it work. She is by far one of the most talented singersout there and her latest albums proves just that. Like poetry for the ears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAYkvQ0V_7I

2. "Fleet Foxes" by

Fleet Foxes

Brilliant album by this folk style/acoustic band. They blended interesting instruments and put it all together to create some pretty awesome mellow and heart-felt

songs. The cool thing about these guys is that they just do what they want rather than follow a crowd, and they write all of their own stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4nkAUT-7mQ

3. "Senior" by Röyksopp

These Scandinavian

guys know how to make really deep music through the use of interesting electronic sounds and samples.

Understandably not for everyone

but one can appreciate their album's awesome 1980's synth sounds and mellow somatic sounds that putt the listeners in a trance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eV9lBciavQ&feature=related

4. "Viva La Vida/Prospekts March" by Coldplay

Even though it came out last year, I still enjoyed this album this year... its awesome. I consider both the album and the EP "Prospekts March" a

single cd and for me they worked to show

the complexity of Coldplay and their ability to continue to push the envelope... which

is a refreshing change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXSovfzyx28

5. "Me and Armini" by Emiliana Torrini

This little Icelandic singer has caught my attention with her recent albums, but "Me and Armini" really tops everything. As a singer and musician she challenges most female

pop/acoustic singers all doing the same stuff and adds interesting twists and rhythms yet still keeping her music accesibily to those who are afraid of change. Brilliant album, beautiful voice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IrJKF1gTuw&feature=related

now best songs are as follows:

1 "Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear
2 "The Alcoholic" by Röyksopp
3 "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
4 "Canvas" by Imogen Heap
5 "I was playing drums" by Efterklang
6 "Death and all of his friends" by Coldplay
7 "The Edge of the Ocean" by Ivy
8 "Moth's Wings" by Passion Pit
9 "Freedom and it's owner" by Kings of Convenience
10 "Sponsored by Destiny" by Slagsmålsklubben

"Help me get back to the reason I sing for you" -Jimmy Needham

Hey guys,

This is Levi checking in. I've spent seven and a half hours in class, five hours doing homework, and every other second worrying about Friday and doing all the background "business" stuff required to have anyone half interested in listening to your music. There will never be enough time in a day.. I'm sitting here feeling absolutely drained, utterly discouraged, and endlessly frustrated. Here's why.
After everything I've labored over today, and all the hours spent working my butt off, I realize that I didn't take a second to pray. I couldn't find even five minutes to talk to God, maybe thank Him that I'm, I don't know, BREATHING! Didn't thank Him for allowing me to play music with the guys, blessing me with the opportunity to go to school, bringing the most incredible girlfriend into my life. I lost sight of it all. This is what will kill us. I mean it too.. Everything that I take on, I take on with God's grace and His strength. Is it exhausting? Absolutely! Does it suck to pour your heart out doing exactly what you were made to do only to have your ministry put down by "important" people, or even put down by pastors? Yesh.. But we, as Christians are able to push on because God gives us that strength and that passion to keep praising Him. I've had the honor of being called to a life of service to Him. Whether it's through my conversations, my music or even just my smiles in the store, I'm trying to live a life that draws people to Him.

But today, and even this past week.. You know what, I'd go as far as to say this past month.. I lost it. Lost sight of the goal. Business overtook me, and "success" (what they've been telling me it is anyway) was looking close. I put my priorities in the wrong order with Him at the back and myself (and my critics) at the front. So today I'm humbled. I'm watching the old Hillsong United "Look to You" dvd listening to "All I Need Is You" and I'm right back in that spot where it all started, crazy in love with God and less than interested in myself and my agendas. I should be sleeping, because tomorrow's going to be busier than today was, but I wanted to verbalize all this before my pride kicked in. I'm just a broken dude trying to figure things out and set myself up to provide for a family someday. I don't have it figured out.. But I know that today was unacceptable, and that if you want to burn out, cutting God out of the picture is a great place to start.

We're having a cd release party this Friday at six thirty at Emmanuel church in Barrie. It's going to be an intimate night with some snacks, some coffee, and some time where we can pour our cd out to you. I hope you can make it out. I appreciate you guys. Thanks for listening. I'm not wearing an entertainer hat today. Sorry :)

first snow fall i've witnessed this year!!

It was great.

Walk out of class and see snow falling! Just like in the picture! (no not at all like the picture lol)

But it was enough to remind me of Christmas and not the winter driving!

I say this now...but i can acknowledge come January i will be hating the drives from Cambridge to Stayer haha.

Just an weather update from the bassist :)

Oh yeah 75% on one of my mid-terms!! Not bad for some casual midnight studying the night before!

Peace out :)

Matt