New Design

Albums I listen to on a regular basis tend to interest me for many reasons – whether it’s capturing a spirit, pure musicianship, intelligent lyrics, capturing volatile and difficult emotions, and/or that magical ability to catapult me to another world, if only for 30-80 minutes at a time. Bands like Moving Mountains, Gates, The Appleseed Cast, and Deftones have always done those things for me.

This may be abrupt, but it’s time to add Brampton, Ontario’s New Design to that list. Upon first listen to their album Far From Home, I was immediately captivated by their blend of indie rock and post-rock. But why? Find out below.


Suffice it to say, New Design are doing some next-level stuff these days. Their full-length album, Far From Home, simultaneously evokes memories of lying in my bed and listening to Moving Mountains’ magnum opus, Pneuma, for the first time. Essentially, it’s a fusion of emo, post-rock, and indie-rock. The way tracks like album standout “There Is No Safe Place” simply explode midway through the song is something that only the upper echelon of musicians can pull off effectively, and in this song’s case, the buildup hits you out of nowhere. “The Things We Can’t Forget” pulls off a similar aesthetic, and it wouldn’t sound out of place on, you guessed it, Pneuma. Given how personally affecting on me that album was growing up, it’s a huge deal.

With bands like this, they have to know how to effectively build tension, atmosphere, and to have it all pay off. Far From Home accomplishes all of those things and more over the course of 10 songs, and New Design needs to be on your radar, like…yesterday.

Stream Far From Home below, and buy it if you like it. It’s worth every penny.

FFO: Moving Mountains, Gates, Mineral, The Appleseed Cast - The New Fury

“Far From Home” is the new album by Canadian alternative rock band New Design, a ten-track soulful and atmospheric effort. The Ontario-based formation runs the gamut from passably saccharine to mildly riotous with ease, never encroaching upon unwanted territory. Their comfort zone is well delineated, yet they manage some envelope pushing of their own. And that’s the reason why “Far From Home” is not just another post-grunge album, not another emo flare-up or post-something attempt; it has enough of everything to make it entirely something else. It’s intimist and wistful. It’s relatable and awe-inspiring. One bold move of a record.

The album starts out with intro “When We Drown,” a fitting preamble to the journey. This record does a great job at encompassing the experience of distance, absence and loss. It’s the earnest vocals and melancholy guitars; it’s the sparse lyrics and the cohesive ensemble New Design appears to have mastered. They give each other space. This record is both selfless and personal, both borderless and at arm’s length. It enrobes you while leaving you terribly cold. Never, however, does it feel unascertained. And ultimately that is what makes “Far From Home” such a commanding work, this insightfulness, the acumen in capturing the elusive journey of home finding.

Such tracks as “I’ve Never Seen the Ocean,” “So Long” and “Relapse” are most powerful because of their epic melancholy, while “Solaris” is grandiose in scope. New Design is no ordinary band; they’ve put out a record of great sensitiveness, not only by reason of its post-rock expansive instrumental forays but mainly because it doesn’t cut corners, never feels cheap or cliché, isn’t easy or obvious, rather it goes deep, probes, excavates. And despite the abstract themes it hinges on, it’s incredibly rounded.

“Far From Home” is the soundtrack to a larger-than-life voyage. It’s stellar in the truest sense. It does what is most difficult to achieve: provide tangibility, venture into unmapped grounds. Whether this album be about space or aliens or centered on a single love story gone awry is of little import. At bottom is the ability to translate any journey, any chapter into something essentially human and live, and reproduce that feeling to transcend boundaries, whatever they may be.

New Design’s “Far From Home” is also very accessible. It has enough grit to go round, enough mellowness too, a medley of all that gets heads bobbing and banging and skins crawling.
In the space of ten tracks, New Design have demonstrated their great caliber, with an immense potential for growth. “Far From Home” is more than a great release; it has that certain eeriness only the most notable of records possess. And while it does little to revolutionize the genre, it succeeds in spinning a world around it, one that comprises the stuff of dreams. - 24ourmusic

Brampton-based quartet New Design are off to a strong start with Far From Home. Their debut full-length is a twinkling, chiming ten-song package that infuses serene emo-tinged melodies with post-rock ambience, giving the album a distinct, powerfully melancholic atmosphere throughout.

The production on the album is astounding from the first song: the warmth of the bass and clean, even mix, courtesy of Kenny Bridges and Mike Evola, contribute greatly to the presentation of this set. Jeffrey Lee's vocals demonstrate variation throughout the record but are strongest in his lower register, as evidenced by songs like "So Long," in which his voice is beautifully harmonized with the other members of the band over the slow crescendo of the song.

The instrumental breaks — "Solaris" and "We Broke the Sun," specifically — highlight the band's technical proficiency and their ability to create mood, with glossy layers of reverb-drenched guitar riffs stacked atop one another. Far From Home is a dense and engaging listen from beginning to end. (Independent) - Exclaim

If you like big, anthemic, slow-burning emo then ‘Far From Home’ is going to make your day. The debut record from Brampton, Ontario based New Design is a mature, professional and realised effort from this young band.

With Kenny Bridges (of Moneen (sorry, .moneen.) fame) at the desk, ‘Far From Home’ swells and grows throughout, moving seamlessly from slow, gentle intros to huge, crashing endings that will please fans of Moneen, Moving Mountains, Prawn et al.

Right from opener ‘When We Drown’, New Design wear their influences with pride. Listening to this record feels like visiting old friends after years apart, it feels instantly familiar and comfortable. Were it still the heady days of the early 2000s when brooding emo was in its heyday, New Design would be blowing up. This band has crafted a record that harks back to the glory days, whilst still remaining fresh and exciting.

‘The Things We Can’t Forget’ has the best chorus of the whole record with an incredible picked riff, played by vocalist/guitarist Jeffrey Lee, that comes out of nowhere and takes you by complete surprise. New Design do this really well, they utilise their musical ability perfectly and they never overdo it, they know how and when to drop a sweet riff or a huge chorus. Take ‘I’ve Never Seen The Ocean’, for example. The song starts off as the best kind of emo song, a lone vocal over a single guitar before the rest of the band comes crashing in and you imagine kids falling over each other to scream the lyrics back at Lee. The ending, though, is just perfect. It builds up suggesting a huge, classic double-time ending is coming, but instead drops into this beautiful tapped acoustic riff and it’s in this moment that New Design really get it right. They keep you on your toes.

They’re also not afraid to keep it simple and classic, with the ending of ‘There Is No Safe Place’ a case in point, with screeching guitars contrasting with crashing cymbals whilst gang vocals sit beautifully on top. ‘So Long’ is another classic emo song, a slow burner soaked in reverb and delay before gang vocals and a huge ending hit you in the back of the neck and make you think of every late night drive you’ve ever taken with friends.

This record is just a great example of emo song writing and if you spent your early teens searching Pure Volume for bands, you will love this. This band is young and extremely talented and have clearly spent a lot of time crafting these songs and making this album a piece that should be listened to as a whole, rather than just jumping in and out. You should definitely check this out. - Punktastic

8/10

Have you ever experienced an indescribable déjà vu when listening to an album? So much so that the album doesn’t even make that big an impression on you the first time around, but you end up thinking about it for days going through every song and every album you’ve ever heard just to find what that album you listened to sounded like?

That is what happened when I listened to New Design’s album Far From Home. I was driven insane for days after the first listen just trying to figure out what it reminded me of. It wasn’t until I saw a picture of my late mother and remembered a summer I spent broken hearted, writing shitty fiction in my basement room, listening to Mae that I figured it out.

Far From Home sounds like everything Mae ever released. If you took all of the albums of the Virginian band and made a super album that sounds like their best work, you would get something very similar to New Design’s release.

Now don’t you dare mistake my comparison and assume I am saying Far From Home is boring or in any way bad, because it is not. There is a reason I spent a summer being a goblin in the basement listening to one band and one band only. That music resonates with me and the broken heart of the eighteen-year-old I once was. The tempo of the songs on the album is pretty equal throughout, and to say that all the songs on the album are cohesive would be an understatement. The style of each song is so similar that it could sound like one long track if it weren’t for each song fading out at the end.

New Design uses their members’ strengths perfectly. Though I am usually more a fan of the high speed, erratic drumming, I have a deep appreciation for the work done by Zachary Cattapan on this album. From the long drum roll on “There Is No Safe Place,” to the creative use of cymbals throughout the album, his playing is excellent throughout the entire release. The use of bass player, Melissa Angilletta’s voice, which complements the voices of the two other string instrumentalists, gives the vocals on the album a ghostly, near ethereal feeling.

The album is best enjoyed in one sitting, but if you must absolutely pick and choose the songs you want to listen to, I would suggest giving “The Things We Can’t Forget,” “So Long,” and “What We Already Knew” a listen, or ten. Nothing will put your heart in a vice quite like a honeyed voice singing “I know it’s something that you want me to do, but I just can’t believe in you.”

In the end, what Far From Home is, other than an amalgam of Mae-sounding songs, a very solid, slow, and heart wrenching album that you simply have to listen to, though the humid summer months filled with flings and fun might not be the best time to really immerse yourself in it.

Wait until the days are shorter, the leaves dead and crunchy on the ground, the air smelling like the smoke of a thousand people’s fireplaces. Wait until your feel blue and gloomy. Wait until your heart has gotten truly fucked up and smashed into smithereens. Only then will you be able to truly appreciate the strangely therapeutic effect of the soft, calm, and layered album that New Design has created for all your curative needs. - Bucketlist Music Reviews

Brampton, ON based alternative/ post rock band, New Design released their first ever full length album, “Far From Home” on June 30, 2015.

The fifth song, “The Things We Can’t Forget” immediately pulled me in, I can’t put my finger on exactly why this one appealed to me more than the rest, but it is definitely one of my favourites on the album. It has upbeat parts as well as slower parts all in on well-constructed song.

If you’re looking for a slower track, they have those too. The eighth song, “What We Already Knew’ is a great song, with intense sounding music and mellowed out vocals that leaves you feeling relaxed.

The album closes with the title track, “Far From Home”, and I would say that’s the perfect song to end the album, as it’s a song that leaves you wanting more from the band, as well as singing along the whole song.

Rating: 3.5/5

Connect with New Design:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newdesignmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/newdesignmusic


Jenna Melanson - Canadian Beats

New Design are another in a long list of pop-punk emo bands that take a large part of their influence from the likes of Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. This is the same offshoot of emo that has grown to include a number of successful bands such as Balance and Composure, Daylight, and Pentimento. New Design have incorporated a softer approach through the use of guitars doused in reverb and delay.

Hailing from Brampton, Ontario, New Design are a talented four-piece who have put an incredible amount of work into their latest release, Far From Home. The album begins with the atmospheric intro "When We Drown" before moving into the meatier parts of the album. The single, "I've Never Seen The Ocean," is chock full of intricately layered guitar riffs and gang vocals, with a few sparse moments followed by intense eruptions of sound. There are plenty of dynamic changes and ethereal tones to keep the listeners attention for the entirety of the album. Midway through the album is placed an instrumental track called "Solaris" in which the band shows a strong ability to build a song to climax over the course of three minutes.

New Design seem to have continued in the spectrum of their genre by writing songs not in the traditional format of verses and choruses but by deliberately placing riff after riff in a way that constantly leaves the listener wondering what is coming next and most often leaving them quite surprised. It is this mode of songwriting that has the potential to leave many listeners wanting for something that never truly arrives. However, for the growing number that prefer this orchestration of organized chaos, Far From Home will be a welcome addition to their music collection. - 1340 Mag

New Design are an alternative rock band hailing from Brampton Ontario who released their first full length ‘Far From Home’ on June 30th, with the help of a Kenny Bridges. They have an almost prog-rock sound to them, with electronically melodic guitars, rising crescendos and heavy drum beats, that keep New Design standing out from the standard alt rock crowd.

The opening track is short and sweet; a quiet introduction with quiet vocals. There’s a notable hint of Brand New about them, with perhaps some influence from ASIWYFA. The whole album is a great mixture of slow subdued songs (There Is No Safe Place) and stadium anthems (The Things We Can’t Forget). ‘So Long’ combines slow starting melodies and quiet lyrics, bringing the track to a crashing end with shouting vocals and a heavy sound. It ends on a high point with ‘Far From Home’, with a chanted chorus of “Find your way back home” and thrashy drums that you can definitely sing and dance along to.

While for the most part the songs are low on lyrics, when they’re there they work well with the sound and vibe of the band as a whole. It seems to be a ‘coming-of-age’ album, in the sense of making the move of breaking away and finding your feet (both musically as well as socially) It’s a very cohesive album, well structured and paced. We’re looking forward to hearing what they come up with next!

You can buy and listen over on bandcamp. Physical copies will be available soon, check out their facebook to find out when. - Outcast Magazine

BRAMPTON — Alternative rock outfit New Design unabashedly love Brampton indie stalwarts Moneen.

When you hear the pop hooks and gang vocals coupled with intricate guitar melodies and emotional energy featured on New Design's new single, The Things We Can't Forget, the comparison becomes abundantly clear.

Guitarist Joe Angilletta admits that the tribute has something to do with the fact that Moneen's animated frontman Kenny Bridges recorded and produced the band's 2012 debut, Burn Out the Sky.

Angilletta recalled meeting Bridges at a show at the Good Times Café in the winter of 2012.

"I didn't know that he had a studio — I was just wanted to tell him that I was a huge fan of his band and then one thing led to another and we recorded an EP," he said.

"Recording with Kenny was the best … he helped us shape our sound and realize what we were going for."

Opting to lay down their latest single with burgeoning local engineer Mike Evola, who previously recorded the likes of My Dear Dilemma and Orca, the quality of the recording came as a surprise, seeing as the song was documented in a low-fi setting.

"It turned out amazing for a bedroom recording," he said.

The 22-year-old and his bandmates huddled into his car to hear the new track played during the Monday night indie hour on Hamilton radio station Y108.

"It was the first time we got to hear our song on the radio," he said of the experience.

Noting that radio airtime doesn't exactly hold the same weight as it did in the pre-Internet world, Angilletta said, "The fact that (the song) was played to a ton of people who normally wouldn't have heard it was crazy…it was rewarding."

Formed in 2008 while attending St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Marguerite d'Youville secondary schools, Angilletta and his bandmates — Zachary Cattapan (drums), Jeffrey Lee (vocals/guitar) and Melissa Angilletta (bass) — maintain a tight bond, especially since the 23-year-old bassist is his older sister.

The pair started out jamming White Stripes and Green Day songs together before forming bands and writing original songs.

But, aside from their dad's brief stint as an accordian player, Angilletta doesn't consider his family musical. Instead, he attributes the desire to play as coming from the once-vibrant Brampton music scene he wishes to resuscitate.

On May 24, New Design has an opportunity to do so when they play Ellen's Bar and Grill with Mississauga power-duo Huge Cosmic, First Ghost from London, Ont., and Brampton punks Survived the Zombies.

Formally the site of defunct indie haunt Friends, the building has seen its fair share of underground greatness, and Angilletta hopes the show can conjure up some residual passion from the audience when the doors open at 8 p.m.

"There's a huge nostalgic factor," he said. "(Going to shows) was what the kids used to do and it seems like it's dying out now, but we've played a couple of good Brampton shows this year and we're hoping to bring it back.

Similarly to how countless Brampton fans discovered Moneen, Angilletta encourages people to come out and pay the $5 cover (another throwback) because "you never know where your next favourite band is going to be." - The Brampton Guardian

- New Design

Self labeled “:post rock” band, New Design, was one of the highlights of the night. Strong beats and riffs occasionally accompanied by brief lead sections, all of which were performed tightly. It’s definitely worth checking out and I have put them on my “Need to see them one more time” list. - Tony Buendia

Hailing from the Greater Toronto Area comes New Design with their debut EP, Burn Out The Sky. They’ve been together for about four years now, blazing through the Toronto area and jamming with their youthful intensity. The result of their pursuit to find their voice is this EP, and it’s definitely a good start for the band.

There’s something very familiar, and yet unique, about their sound, especially in the first half of the album. It’s melodic, yet heavy alternative rock with pop-single friendliness. I feel like you could hear their songs right alongside Incubus, Radiohead, and the like. Yet, based off tracks like the fantastic instrumental “Omnisphere II,” I wouldn’t be surprised to hear them thrown in with experimental, heavier post-rockers, too (Explosions in the Sky, perhaps, or even Pelican). It’s an interesting blend of influences that casts a wide net over several genres, making their music accessible to all sorts of fans.

Burn Out The Sky is a textbook case of why production quality matters. The album wouldn’t be half as good if it wasn’t expertly mixed and mastered by Kenny Bridges of Moneen. The record is clean and crisp, allowing the vocals and great guitar work to stand out along with the top-notch rhythm section. In terms of production quality, New Design sounds just as good as any major-label band does.

“NCIX” and “It’s Not the End of the World, But You Can See It From Here,” the first two tracks on the album, are the most accessible, radio-friendly tracks. Featuring catchy, sing-along choruses and a little bit of punk-rock attitude, they’re the kind of songs that engage an audience and pull them in. On the other hand, the EP’s namesake is more straightforward, with a chugging riff and simpler songwriting (I’d imagine it’s one of their earlier originals).

“Omnisphere II” is the most unique track on the EP, and arguably the best. It’s an instrumental piece that dances around, changing tempo and rhythm but never losing its beautiful core. If anything, this is the song that shows what the band’s capable of.

However, even after listening to the record several times, I wasn’t just “blown away” by any song. I enjoy it and think it’s really good, but nothing really grabbed my ears and made me want to put it on repeat. It all sounds like something I’ve heard before, but can’t really put a finger on. It’s that nagging sense of familiarity that gives the album less punch than it would have otherwise.

Regardless, this is their debut EP, and New Design brings it. They show themselves to be very capable musicians and songwriters…now they’ve just got to hone their sound and take it to the next level. I think they’ll manage it sooner rather than later.

Bottom Line: A very solid debut EP, Burn Out The Sky shows that New Design have the right pieces in place to be something special. While the EP is a good introduction to their fusion of pop/alternative/post-rock, I think we can expect even better from the band in the future.

Rating: 7/10 Fiery Meteors

Songs You Must Hear: “It’s Not the End of the World, But You Can See It From Here,” “Burn Out The Sky,” and “Omnisphere II” - Gonna Groove Music Reviews

After releasing their debut EP ‘ Burn Out The Sky’ in 2o12, New Design have been moving up in the world by gradually building their fan base, with their facebook likes nearly hitting 700. April this year the band released a two song EP, which was recorded live at Glenmore records, showing a much more earthy and raw side to them as it was recorded live. This has also received a bit of attention and encouraged people to purchase the songs as the band sold the songs on a ‘Name Your Price’ basis which you can do here - http://newdesignmusic.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-glenmore-records .

July proves to be a busy month for the band, as they’ve already played a couple of gigs this month where they received a good reception and they’ve now penned down two more live dates!

Friday, July 26th, 2013

The Masonic Temple, Oakville

New Design, Conversation, We Are The Wild Things, Polarity, Friday Night Trend.

AND

Wednesday, July 31st 2013

The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto

New Design and The Red Boy

Unfortunately once again, I’m unable to attend because I’m not lucky enough to live in the states, but if you are, make your way down there to see New Design Live!

You can get the tickets from New Designs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/newdesignmusic
- IWTHYB

Personal highlight of their new E.P is the track ‘Omnisphere II’. Its space-rock vibe really defines New Design’s sound; luminous and borderline ethereal. These guys create the sort of music you want to rock out to in the late hours of a Friday night out, half drunk and half dead, flailing across a misty nightclub. - IWTHYP

New Design is a Brampton Ontario born band that took their start in 2008. The members of Jeff Lee, Joseph Angiletta, Melissa Angiletta, and Zack Cattapan have compiled six of their songs for their EP titled Burn Out The Sky that displays great promise for their future work.

The group contacted Kenny Bridges of the band Moneen to produce their EP, which was a decision they couldn’t say at the time where it would lead them but together the collaboration formed tracks that fit perfectly together. The talent these musicians have is truly evident throughout this EP, describing their sound as having influences of early Pop-rock, and demonstrating the Post-Rock genre. The intense sounding instrumentals and vocals keep listeners constantly at attention. Burn Out the Sky starts off with NCIX having a solid melody, along with intimate singing, and a catchy chorus chanting “this is the way we and we’re not gonna change for you”, the range of pace is an aspect that keeps listeners on their toes.

The EP slows down by the third track Across The Floors Of Silent Seas but it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, as mentioned before their instrumentals are nothing but disappointing. As the song gets louder the powerful guitar solo, mixed with strong drum and bass force listeners to continue to get a depiction of what they are capable of.

The band has expressed that nearing the end of EP it leans more towards the instrumental side which is clear from Omnisphere II instrumental track that without lyrics gets more eerie as it follows through. If listeners were trying to compare them to anyone before, that track brings those thoughts to a halt, for those five creative sounding minutes New Design is really represented for the uniqueness.

Throughout the four years of being a band, New Design has built a fan base that has grown with them, from dedicating countless hours to performances throughout The Greater Toronto Area. My assumption is that this EP has only encouraged excitement as their progress is without a doubt on the right path.

Check out the songs at https://newdesignmusic.bandpage.com/
- MVRemix

Brampton, ON’s New Design are staying true to their title. The ever-evolving hometown heroes aren’t afraid to keep the gears turning with new (and improving) sounds, which also shed hints of what playlists are echoing against the eardrums of the alternative-rock quartet. With their most recent release, Burn Out The Sky, released this past spring, New Design makes sure that you feel the heat. With fiery solos, instrumentals that spark with drama, and alluring vocals, their melodic-yet-edgy alternative sound is familiar, yet it scorches with their own kind of flame.

Burn Out The Sky lights the match with opening track “NCIX”, which gets hearts pumping with an intro that just screams, “JUMP!” With vocals that are smooth enough to be passive-aggressive, New Design still belts out their justifications with, “This is the way we are/And we’re not gonna change/For you”. Following track “It’s Not the End of the World, But You Can See it From Here” steps into verses that are biting, gripping, and just so, so edgy. However, the chorus smoothens out into something that still sticks with you, but makes you wish for that edge back. The band has also mentioned that EP title track, “Burn Out The Sky”, was one of the first songs the band had written together – and you can tell by its simpler song structure and difference in style. However, that’s not to say it’s a bad thing. The guitar solos still rip through the last half of the song, and the track itself even contrasts the change and direction in which New Design is heading. “Omnisphere II” is a perfect example of the absorbing and almost meditative instrumentals that the band has grown to create. Throw some lyrics into the mix, and you have EP closer “Failure By Design”, which is a dogged and explosive tune, ending the EP perfectly with a dynamic and punchy instrumental outro.

However, there’s something about Burn Out The Sky that just reminds you of something that you may have already heard, which can be perceived more prominently in track “Across the Floors of Silent Seas”. At the same time, New Design paints over the elements of that noir-tinted underground rock album that you may have grown up to when you were sixteen (yet now hides between dusty albums on your shelf) and revitalizes it with their own flair. By the end of the album, you’ve forgotten about comparing them to other bands, and are left with wicked instrumental emotion, and anthem-like phrases that seem to hang onto your lips.

On that note, it’s exciting to imagine where New Design will take us next. With the band’s ambition pushing at the stratosphere, it’s evident that there’s only room for growth.
- Substruct News

When New Design contacted Kenny Bridges of Moneen asking if he would produce their EP, they weren’t sure what would come out of it. But a couple of months later, Burn Out The Sky was on iTunes and being sold at their EP release party (along with some really cool shirts). Brampton natives, and winners of Spill Magazine’s August 2012 band of the month, Jeff Lee, Joseph Angiletta, Melissa Angiletta, and Zack Cattapan, have big plans and Burn Out The Sky is just the start.

Self-described as a blend of Pop-rock and Post-rock, New Design offer an atmospheric sound that brings a lot of intensity. Burn Out The Sky starts off with “NCIX,” an infectious tune that leaves you chanting along with the band. From guitars and bass in perfect sync, to the main riff and powerful drums that carry the bridge, this song will without a doubt get stuck in your head. Lee’s vocals are both intriguing and calm as Joseph Angiletta’s voice echoes in the first part of the chorus. The band chants “This is the way we are,” and this is not the first time you will hear a band chant either – the following track, “It’s Not the End of the World, But You Can See It From Here,” showcases this as well. It is a little bit more intense than “NCIX” and also introduces the atmospheric Post-rock sound that defines the band.

“Across the Floors of Silent Seas” is a softer song off Burn Out The Sky. Melissa Angiletta’s bass lines are quite predominant in this track until the guitar kicks into overdrive and the drums crash in heavily. Lee’s vocals are suitable to this softer sound, driving the emotion to communicate the lyrics to the listener. The title track was one of the first songs the band ever wrote and carries a comparable sound to that of “NCIX” which was written around the same time. Along with being one of the older songs, it is also amongst the most popular with their fans in the local music scene. The powerful and intricate solo dominates close to the end of the track adding more hype to the song itself. “Omnisphere II” is an instrumental cut that carries a very ethereal sound. With gradual build ups and break downs, it’s a good instrumental piece, although some may find that it runs for a bit too long. However, it does lead well into the closing track, “Failure By Design,” which features an infectious guitar melody alongside prominent bass and drums. Lee’s vocals are shown off with falsettos and Angiletta’s guitar solo is enhanced with the plethora of effects used. The band has said themselves that as the EP progresses, the tracks do tend to get more instrumental.

With a growing fanbase in the GTA, New Design continues to steadily play as many shows they can. Having played venues such as The Reverb, The Sound Academy and Mavericks, you can catch them returning to play The Mod Club Nov. 3
- The Spill Magazine

We caught up with New Design at the Brampton Indie Arts Festival to talk about their past, present, future, and… Stonehenge? Check out the interview above (which took place on a stairwell which was a lot busier than we intended), and be sure to catch them play Canadian Indie Week on October 11 at The Hideout in Toronto!

Click here to buy their EP, Burn Out The Sky.

Check out their track, “Failure By Design”, off their EP below:
- Substruct News

New Design is a young, dynamic alternative rock band with a high energy and intense live show. Their music blends the intensity, atmosphere and feel of the post-rock genre with the drive of their early pop rock influences. - INDIE WEEK

The debut EP release of New Design is called Burn Out the Sky.

When I bought my first copy I listened to it at least 5 times in a row, and now have it in regular rotation on my itunes playlist.

Before writing the review of their EP I quickly re-read my review of their show and I was surprised at how my first reaction to the songs at the show still stuck through the recording.

The credits for the EP are as follows:

Jeffrey Lee - Guitar/Vocals
Joseph Angilletta - Guitar
Melissa Angilletta - Bass
Zachary Cattapan - Drum
Engineer - Kenny Bridges
Mastered - Greg Dawson

NCIX (the most cure sounding song) is still my favourite New Design song, although Burn Out the Sky is a really close second. As per my original review of the band there are elements of Incubus and the Cure for sure, but they incorporate some great Metal influences as well....I can't tell who those influences are - Maiden? Sabbath? Metallica? I would be interested in getting their feedback, regardless there is some kickin' 80s metal influence in their sound that I hadn't notice before.

The album is dynamic and flowing. The songs themselves have natural ebb and flows of energy which I find really interesting to listen to. The EP overall has a natural ebb and flow and its cool the way the band makes use of different time signatures. The arrangements are great, the contrast between the guitarists is really cool and of course Melissa's bass lines are so super interesting and cool. The engineering is great on this album. Great use of panning, effects and layering without being over the top or cheesy. Like most of the album its tasteful and everything seems to have a well thought out purpose and place.

This is a great EP and I strongly recommend picking this up! I also recommend watching this band live! They are a great rock band!!
- Cody Nyman - Decode Music Online

Spill Magazine hails New Design as being the August 2012 Band Of The Month! - The Spill Magazine

New Design - Review
On Sunday night, I had the privilege of watching a couple former students play in their band - New Design!

The show was at the Good Times Cafe in Brampton, ON. They were the first band to hit the stage and although the venue was small, it was full. I think that in itself says a lot about this up and coming band! Usually the crowd doesn't start showing up until the 2nd act!

If asked how to describe their sound, I would say a cross between - Incubus - Paramore and The Cure. They are really adept song writers and I have to say that they far exceed some of their peers who are 10 years older then them in musical maturity. The songs are well constructed, the band is able to blend their styles and talents into a phenomenal sound! Joe and Jeff are both amazing guitarists and their styles compliment each other so well. I find that in most bands with two guitarists, either there is a "lead-rhythm" relationship or both guitarists play the same thing - which I find incredibly boring. Jeff and Joe both take solos and play different chords/octaves/licks creating a very full, rich sound! Melissa is a great bassist! She plays bass like a "guitarist, but again I think that adds to the complexity and richness of the sound. Their drummer is fairly solid as well! I know it's a tendency for most drummers to "rush" at a show and I thought Zach did a fairly good job at keeping things "steady"! I noticed that there were a lot of people in the crowd "air drumming" along with him! He has a very steady, driving style and his licks and fills are tastefully placed.

As for overall stage presence - Melissa and Joe absolutely rock the stage! It's hard for the singers to sometimes really "rock-out" as they are usually tied to the mic stand, but I think Joe and Melissa did enough for the whole band!

As for songs, my favourite has got to be NCIX. I was struck at the show as there was a group of people who left after NCIX and they were singing the super catchy line "This is the way we are" as they were leaving!

For more on this great band, check out their myspace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/newdesignmusic

- Cody Nyman- http://www.decodemusiconline.com/artist-of-the-month-archives

Rock bands from Peel Region gathered in a performance at Streetsville’s Masonic Lodge on February 20 to celebrate the local music scene. Mississauga non-profit organization Sound of Change organized the show as a themed fundraising event for Eden Community Food Bank.

“There is currently an incredible music scene in Peel area,” said Lucas Canzona, Sound of Change founder. Canzona, who has run Sound of Change since 2012, said that the Best of Peel show was exemplary of the company’s ethos. “Our model is to showcase local talent and fund international development projects….For the first time we’re working with a local charity.”

The lineup for the show was comprised of young but experienced local bands with a history of playing together for years, sometimes in different incarnations. Hardcore group Terry Green opened and their set was appropriately chaotic; guitarist Matt Farfal even snapped his instrument in half during a song while a fake “security guard” stood on stage with arms crossed.

At the night’s midway point, Brampton post-rock band New Design’s dramatic, twinkling soundscapes paved the way for the punk-inspired hard-rock swagger of River Groves.

Rising Mississauga indie rock band Aukland used the event to premiere their upcoming debut album Rookie in a special live performance. “We haven’t played a Mississauga show in a while…[but] we wrote all the songs here and thought it would be cool to give everyone a sneak peek in an iconic venue like this,” said Sean Sroka, Aukland frontman.

The band’s new material was hooky and anthemic in the vein of last year’s The Orange Above EP, but there was a pronounced maturity in a few slow numbers near the end. One track even spurred the young crowd to start a mosh pit. “We normally don’t have many pits at our shows,” said Sroka.

Hyper shoegaze duo Huge Cosmic closed the night with selections from their 2013 album Microcosmic, along with a few new and typically meticulous songs. Guitarist and vocalist Jacob Hrajnik felt that the use of the Peel-branded merch sold at the show, inspired by hip-hop’s sense of community and camaraderie, would foster solidarity and support in the local music scene. “The more people start wearing these [shirts] and talking about Peel music, the more we can further ourselves as musicians who aspire to do this for a living,” he said.

Hrajnik helped with the design and direction of the unique merch, which implemented the familiar Peel Region slogan “Working for You” and the old Mississauga city hall logo into shirts, buttons, patches, posters, and even Peel worker uniforms. “We received the uniforms from someone who didn’t need them anymore,” said Thomas Siman, who has volunteered with Sound of Change since its inception. “I think the idea of second-hand merch like this is a key part of the character of Peel….People want this because they want to represent where they’re from.”

That DIY spirit was indeed the crux of the show, as the community that came out for these local heroes was engaged throughout. “This is one of the bigger crowds I’ve seen at the Lodge,” said Terry Green vocalist Adrian Mysliwec. “And they keep getting bigger.” - Mississauga Life

Song: I’ve Never Seen The Ocean
Band: New Design
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Date of Release: July 2015
Genre: Post rock/emo
Reviewer: Welmanshire
For Fans Of: gates, Funeral For A Friend, Balance & Composure
Why They Aren’t Famous: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m usually a bit of a genre nazi when it comes to the post hardcore/emo/post rock categories of music. I have a genre-defining priapism, and it gives me great pleasure to nail bands in reviews for slotting themselves in a particular genre when they’re not adhering to it at all. Take “Progressive” as a genre tag, for example. You wouldn’t believe how many bands label themselves as progressive; prog rock, prog metal, prog emo, etc (it’s been said), for simply not sticking to 4/4 and throwing in an extra part of a song in deviation from the norm. Well done, but you’re not fucking prog, jerks. ‘Post’ is another that gets thrown around liberally, but really if you’re in a post-something band, then you had better be sure you’re actually continuing the further your chosen genre and not contributing to the incorrect labelling that causes so much confusion within the ranks.


Naturally when I’m scanning our song submissions, I look out for bands labelling themselves as either post-metal or post-rock – some of my favourite records of the last few years fall within these genres, namely New Jersey post-rock band gates last two records, along with post-black metal (or ‘blackgaze’, which is a thing now) band Deafheaven.
So in come New Design, a band lapping at the shores of both new-wave emo/screamo bands as well as post-rock. If gates and early Funeral For A Friend were to have a child, it’s likely it would sound a lot like New Design.
The standout of the song are the vocal lines by Jeffrey Lee – his voice, along with the backups provided by the rest of the band really give it that dark and contemplative feel, with some of the really strong and memorable driving sections within the song bringing you back for multiple listens. The long notes held by Lee layered with quaint harmonies compliment the also quaint guitar and bass lines.
Their post rock influences shine throughout as their progressions wind up through the song, letting drummer Zachary Cattapan hold it all down by giving it light and dark in the quieter sections towards the end of the song. All the members show their talent with coming together with the interest of nailing down the post rock experience.
Conclusion:
New Design are a great band – I had a sneaky listen to a few other tracks from their earlier stuff that were probably just as good, if not better. Old Jeff really does have a beautiful voice, and the gang vocals by the fam are always on point and beautifully placed. The lead sections contained in both songs are again quite reminiscent – or influenced by gates and also FFAF, which delivers an interesting combination to to really set the tone of their sound. I’ve included their other track, The Things We Can’t Forget for your listening pleasure as well.
Vocals –
Guitars: 7.8/10
Bass: 8/10
Drums: 8.5/10
Production: 7/10
Lyrics: 8/10
Songwriting: 8/10
Overall IPHYB Rating: 7.7/10
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10 - I Probably Hate Your Band