The Black Fever

The Black Fever are a riveting indie rock n’ roll/post-punk sound/band that hail out of Toronto, Canada. These superb Canadian rockers bring roaring guitar riff excitements with shimmering strong vocals alongside a ‘rocking it out’ vibe, outstanding sound. The overall musicianship was nothing less than ‘class’ and really had my rocking ear modules hearing catchy/edgy rhythm & groove rock charms. I certainly was digging their whole’ indie rock air agendas and on that note, could very surely foresee indie rock/post-punk music supporters across the universe really taking their own music galaxies happily to these exceptional Canadian indie rockers, outstanding band!

The Black Fever will be very admirable listening to fans of: Chameleons, Jet, Buzzcocks, Gang Of Four. - Forkster

The Black Fever are a punk band based out of Toronto, making jokes against the sports teams here acceptable to the audience. About halfway into their set they dedicated their song “Never Really Had A Chance” to all Toronto sports teams, which got a good laugh out of the crowd, as did when they said their next song was uplifting and then called out the name “Destroy The Heart”.

Their music was more diverse than their sense of humour, going straight from long note ballads, to extremely short lived heavy rock songs. With EPs for sale at the show, they also showcased a new song that will be on the CD that they’re currently working on.

The diversity didn’t stop there. Summering, the psychedelic rockers from Vancouver came next. With five members and three guitars, they have quite a defined, unique sound.

Kicking off the set with the soft vocals mixed with strong bass lines, punk guitar riffs and politician-bashing lyrics gave the audience a good taste of what Summering is about. Their slow tempo psychedelic rock and roll music was a bit of a change from what most people would expect to come across at the Bovine, but their heavy instrumentals made up for it.

Moreover, the lack of much vocals in the songs and lack of any real stage presence was made up for again by those heavy punk instrumentals that flowed in a spectacular balance between all of the instruments.

While the drummers are traditionally at the back of the stage and the minds of a lot of fans, this particular drummer really brought it to the front of any listener’s ears, which is rather rare. The spooky sounding interludes of a pick going up and down the fret board of one of the guitarists’ between songs made for some much needed anticipation as well.

© Lucy Sky, Music Vice

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Tags: CMW 2015, Summering, The Black Fever

This entry was posted on May 10, 2015 at 3:34 pm and is filed under Gig Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. - Music Vice

he Black Fever have previously released two full-length albums, Romanticism (2010) and Revisionist (2012) (which featured the wittily-entitled "Girls Just Want To Have Funds"), and an EP, A Little Help (2014). They now impress with a brilliant new single, "Destroy The Heart". It is driven by righteously furious guitar squalls, a solid rhythmic pulse and suitably virile vocals. Stylistically, it reminds us of '80s British post-punk, a la The Sound or Comsat Angels. A definite winner, it certainly gets us excited about a full album, Midnight Century, about to surface (on July 11). The band describe the album as being "about reconciling the fantastic possibilities of life with the crushing realities of the modern world.”

The Black Fever play an album release show at Rancho Relaxo in Toronto on July 11. They also have gigs at Wasted Space in Oshawa ( Aug. 7), Irene's in Ottawa (Aug. 14), and Bistro du Paris in Montreal (Aug. 15).
Kerry Doole - New Canadian Music

They're from Toronto, but we've never heard of these cats before. That probably won't last because this EP is entirely solid. They claim they're inspired by The Verve and Joy Division and The Stone Roses, and yeah, we can see it. But there's just as much fuzzy guitar/mid-'90s college rock/pre-suck Treble Charger vibe to make it feel colonial. We're paying attention now... - Chartattack

NOW Rating (4 out of 5)

The Black Fever
Romanticism (independent)
By Jordan Bimm

Local Britpop-influenced trio the Black Fever started out as singer/guitarist Sumon (aka “Shoe”) Mukherjee’s solo project after his old band, the Daybreak, called it quits. A year spent working alongside producer Jon Hawkes (Les Gars) has resulted in a 10-song rock epic sure to strike a chord with fans of Oasis or the Verve.

Infused with raw emotion and melody, the intricately layered songs range from Try And Try And Try’s early-U2-inflected stadium sound to ...Then She Killed Me’s psych-informed garage rock. The album’s standout is Hang Up (Remix), an infectious, propulsive, downtrodden anthem that benefits from Mukherjee’s bittersweet vocal melody.

Top track: Hang Up (Remix) - Now Magazine

I had the occasion to catch The Black Fever during last year’s NXNE at the Painted Lady. Despite the limited stage space of the venue, they still managed to rock out quite the high energy set.

Their sound fits squarely in the indie rock side of things, but they also have the moodiness of late 80’s synth-pop in their vocal work. And, once we’re on the topic of vocals, I normally hate male vocalists in rock bands because they’re usually pretty horrible singers. That’s definitely not a criticism that would ever be levelled at the vocal work at play in this band. There’s almost an element of Thom York here, as if contemporary Radiohead were playing upbeat rock songs again. Quite definitely worth a listen: - The Urban Hermit

The Black Fever are a three piece Post-Punk band from Toronto. The group consists of Pat Bramm on bass, Dan Purpura on percussions, and Shoe on guitar and vocals. The trio will be playing the Horseshoe Tavern on January 31, and have recently been selected to play as part of Canada Music Week here in Toronto. I recently had the chance to catch up with The Black Fever gang to discuss their past accomplishments as well as their plans for the future.

How did you guys meet/How did the band form?

“The band formed in 2009. Two of us (Pat and Shoe) were in a band together before called The Daybreak, but that band had broken up in 2006. Dan had been in a band called Fire Hydrant, but they broke up. We had all known each other, so we decided to start playing music together.”

As a group from Toronto you’ve had the opportunity to play at venues all over the city. What do you think of our music scene?

“Toronto has a very eclectic scene. We often play with bands that are quite different stylistically from us. It’s great to have such variety, but sometimes, it would be nice if there was a bit more coherence amongst Toronto bands. It can be challenging to play on a bill with a roots rock band, when you know their fans may not necessarily like you, and vice versa.”

You’ve played quite a few large shows in the last couple of years including NXNE. You were also one of the bands recently announced to be playing Canadian Music Week this year in Toronto. How does it feel to be able to play at some of Canada’s largest music festivals?

“It’s a great honor to have played NXNE and CMW last year, and to be playing CMW again. Hopefully it helps us to make new fans and expose our music to others. And since we’re all fans of live music, it’s a great opportunity to check out other bands from Toronto and beyond. For example, we really enjoyed the CMW performances from Diiv and Cloud Nothings. “

In the past three years you have released two albums independently. Have you ever considered signing with a label for any future projects? Or do you prefer the do-it-yourself hands on approach?

“It would be ideal to work with a label! It’s a lot of work to put out albums by yourself, and there is a lot of music being released all of the time. It would be nice to have someone in our corner to help increase the exposure of our music.”

You r sound has noticeably evolved from Romanticism to Revisionist. Romanticism is has more of a popesq sound to it whereas Revisionist feels more clean and honed. Like you’ve found a sound that you really like and that really fits with your visions of where you want to take your music. It has a much more Post-Punk vibe to it. Reminding me of bands like Muse, The Walkmen, and The Smiths. What other bands do you derive inspiration from?

“As one can imagine, we all have quite different musical inspiration. Pat’s bass work is inspired by The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Interpol. For Revisionist, Dan was inspired by the Rural Alberta Advantage. Shoe is a British music aficionado, ranging from The Beatles to The Maccabees. For Revisionist, he took a lot of inspiration from Joy Division, The Chameleons, and Interpol. It’s safe to say we’re all Interpol fans.”

When recording Revisionist was it your intentions to try and take your sound in a different direction, away from the pop sound (classic meaning of the term) and towards that darker grittier post-punk sound? Or was it something that just naturally evolved in the process?

“It was definitely intentional to make Revisionist sound the way it did. For the first album, that album was influenced by a lot of British bands (Oasis, The Verve, The Stone Roses). For the second album, we wanted a more North American/British post-punk sound, with more moody instrumentation and more of an austere atmosphere. Our new batch of songs that we’re developing move even further in this direction.”

What is the group’s creative process like when composing new music?

“Typically Shoe records a rough demo with the chord progression, vocals, and song structure generally mapped out. Then we all try and land on the individual instrument arrangements, and other arrangements (intros, conclusions, etc.) as needs be.”

Your music has received a fair amount of critical acclaim, including being featured in Now Magazine. How does it feel to know that your music is being heard and perceived so widely and positively?

“It’s nice to get good reviews when they come. We’ve also gotten some bad reviews from time to time, so we try and take it all with a grain of salt. It all goes with trying to expose your music to people; some like it, others don’t.”

You just released your second album last year. Are there any plans floating around to release another album in the near future?

“It would be great to put out another album, but the timing isn`t clear yet. We`ve already finished three songs that we`ve started to play live. It`s possible that we - BSides Music

For Local Rock n Roll night, the Horseshoe hosted a number of local bands as well as bands from abroad. The grungy intimate atmosphere of the Horseshoe allowed for us to get a good feel for the bands that we would not have gotten at a larger venue.
Live How You Live

Live How You Live

The night started off with a raucous energetic set by Hamilton’s Live How You Live, and finished with some hard rock anthems from BallRoom Babies that drowned the audience under a sea of fog and volume.
Ballroom Babes

The BallRoom Babies

But it would be the set by U of T alumni The Black Fever that really amazed us. The Black Fever opened with “Break my Heart” and played a set that was heavily devoted to their new album Revisionist including songs such as “Girls… Just Want to Have Funds”. They also hinted at a new release with the inclusion of a new song at the end of their set. The Black Fever have spoken of taking a new direction with their songwriting, and indeed this came across with the clarity and potency of their songs. The crisp and austere post-punk atmosphere of their new material contrasted a great deal with the Brit-pop influences of Romanticism, Shoe’s frenetic guitar work and plaintive vocals brought to mind a hungrier, rougher Interpol at times. Pat Bramn and Dan Purpura laid down a solid pulse, which spoke to their solidity as a rhythm section while Shoe demonstrated his considerable vocal talents.
Pat Bramm of the Black Fever

Bassist Pat Bramm of The Black Fever

They have spoken at length about the new emphasis that the bass plays in their new sound and in a live setting one could not help but hear it, often taking a lead role in the direction and melody of a song. The tightness of the band instrumentally lead to a frantic and energetic set, which provided a propulsion that was found lacking in Revisionist. By no means bombastic, the tasteful edge of the live environment allowed The Black Fever to break out of the album’s weak production and amaze with their spirited performance and angular rhythms. We look forward to seeing them again at Canadian Music Week.

You can check out The Black Fever on their website. - Demo Magazine

"You Should Know By Now"

Though this musical tale of unrequited love is the work of Toronto's Sumon (Shoe) Mukherjee, it could easily pass for a hazily remembered single from the U.K., circa 1983. His list of influences may include Oasis and The Verve, but this obsessively layered, minor-key production hints more at the chilly majesty of, say, Talk Talk's "It's My Life" and U2's "New Year's Day." (myspace.com/theblackfevermusic) - The Toronto Star

SOUNDS LIKE: '90s Brit-pop homage by way of Toronto.

4 stars out of 5

WHY/WHY NOT: The Black Fever’s bio boldly states that they want to "create interesting guitar-based Rock 'n' Roll that acts as a soundtrack to modern life." But this is only true if your soundtrack is throwback early 1990s Britpop . . . not that there’s anything wrong with that. Much like Sweden retro-rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives pulled off their pillage of all things Who, Floyd and Beatles, Romanticism, the first LP from Shoe (Sumon Murherjee) finds the Toronto-based singer/guitarist treading a fine line between stealing and re-imagining. Fortunately, Shoe falls into the latter category and won’t have to worry about getting kicked-in by Noel Gallagher any time soon. Sure enough, Shoe’s voice sounds like the elder, higher-pitched Gallagher (and Tom Petty) and all of the album’s ten tracks feature enough catchy hooks, engaging harmonies and big guitars to play effectively in anything from a small club to a giant stadium. It’s hard to believe it’s just Shoe and producer Jon Hawkes making all the noise. Throw in some shimmering threads of ‘60s psychedelia, pulsing bass-fueled grooves ("Rather Be Alone") and chiming power-pop ("Candy Darling") and Romanticism is of the more impressive rock debuts of year. In other words, this is what great Britpop is all about. - SoundProof Magazine

SOUNDS LIKE: '90s Brit-pop homage by way of Toronto.

4 stars out of 5

WHY/WHY NOT: The Black Fever’s bio boldly states that they want to "create interesting guitar-based Rock 'n' Roll that acts as a soundtrack to modern life." But this is only true if your soundtrack is throwback early 1990s Britpop . . . not that there’s anything wrong with that. Much like Sweden retro-rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives pulled off their pillage of all things Who, Floyd and Beatles, Romanticism, the first LP from Shoe (Sumon Murherjee) finds the Toronto-based singer/guitarist treading a fine line between stealing and re-imagining. Fortunately, Shoe falls into the latter category and won’t have to worry about getting kicked-in by Noel Gallagher any time soon. Sure enough, Shoe’s voice sounds like the elder, higher-pitched Gallagher (and Tom Petty) and all of the album’s ten tracks feature enough catchy hooks, engaging harmonies and big guitars to play effectively in anything from a small club to a giant stadium. It’s hard to believe it’s just Shoe and producer Jon Hawkes making all the noise. Throw in some shimmering threads of ‘60s psychedelia, pulsing bass-fueled grooves ("Rather Be Alone") and chiming power-pop ("Candy Darling") and Romanticism is of the more impressive rock debuts of year. In other words, this is what great Britpop is all about. - SoundProof Magazine

Toronto-based post-punk indie rockers The Black Fever released their EP, A Little Help, this month. The release follows their two previous works, Romanticism (2010) and Revisionist (2012). Written over the course of 2013, A Little Help is a short but sweet three-track release which features songs from their upcoming album. Lead singer Shoe, drummer Dan Purpura, and bassist Patt Bramm recorded this album with the help of producer Jon Hawkes. Mastering was done by Noah Mitz.

The EP kicks off with a long intro to the title track, “A Little Help.” It’s bass-heavy and has a fast tempo. Shoe’s raspy voice pairs well with the track, and adds to the ultra-cool factor displayed throughout the EP. “My Love, The Sea” is very beachy yet super rock n’roll at the same time. It’s catchy and fun, while sticking to more edgy roots. Yet, the lyrics are poetic and deep: ” You’ve changed yet you’re still the same / Mirages I saw within your arms / it’s one of the games you play”. “She Said No” is slower and more somber than the other two tracks, and gives the EP good variety. The lyrics describe a gut-wrenching scenario where ‘the girl’ says no, rather than ‘yes’ as commonly portrayed in movies and television. It goes deep into the thoughts of the storyteller, who contemplates their actions which could have lead to the upset — ”There’s nothing within my past / that taught me much of anything / I did all that I was asked.” He asks if there was anything done wrong, and the question remains unanswered by the girl; that is the way the song concludes. It only leaves behind her ‘no.’ An overall very interesting and thought-provoking track.

Fans can use A Little Help as a preview for what’s to come from the band. Their post-punk vibe is consistent throughout, yet they figured out how to make each track unique. Hopefully, the rest of their full-length album does the same. - The Permanent Rain Press

THE BLACK FEVER is a post-punk indie rock band based in Toronto, comprised of Shoe (vocals, guitar), Pat Bramm (bass, back-up vocals), and Dan Purpura (drums). The band’s music mixes guitar-based post-punk influences with lead bass lines and up-tempo drums, while reflecting the band’s focus on melody and concise songwriting.

The band’s 2014 EP, A Little Help, is the follow-up to two self-released albums,Romanticism (2010) and Revisionist (2012).

A Little Help was produced by Jon Hawkes and mastered by Noah Mintz. The three track EP was written over 2013, as the band prepared material for a forthcoming album that will include the EP’s tracks. It was recorded in Toronto in the fall and winter of 2013/2014.

Of the EP, the band says:

“A Little Help is closer to our live sound than our previous recordings, and is a snapshot of what our full length album will sound like – rawer, concise songs, and lots of energy.” - CKXS 99.1

e’ve been following the progress of Toronto’s THE BLACK FEVER for some time now and the band has certainly come a long way over the last few years. This is certainly never more evident than with the two new songs the trio has dropped leading up to their latest album release.

Check out Materiel Girl and Destroy The Heart in the embed below and then join us this coming Saturday at Rancho Relaxo in Toronto as we celebrate the release of Midnight Century. If past shows are any indication, this one promises to be one for the ages. - The Indie Machine

Based in Toronto, The Black Fever is an indie rock band, with heavy punk leanings, comprised of Sumon Mukherjee (vocals/guitar), Pat Bramm (bass, back-up vocals), and Dan Purpura (drums). Mukherjee’s swirling guitar sounds and vocals dominate the album’s 10 tracks, three of which were previously released on their 2014 EP, A Little Help. While much of the album deals in a raucous manner with the angst and hardships of living in our modern world, the band wisely mixes things up by toning down the volume and tempos on tracks like ‘Materiel Girl,’ ‘Never Took You For Granted’ and ‘She Said No.’ Tracks like this stand in stark contrast to the rapid-fire aggression of tunes like ‘Second Coming.’ It’s the songwriting that sets The Black Fever apart from other groups of their ilk. - Scene Magazine