Velour has tight, danceable sound.

Unusual three-piece rock configuration clicks.

Up-and-coming local band Velour suits its new name. The three-piece ensemble is a smooth, poppy band that has produced a listenable yet interesting demo tape in a Burnaby studio. Asked to describe their brand of music, bassist and lead vocalist Jonathan Schubert first called it grab bag, but focused his definition further by saying "It's not headbanger music - not that we can't rock, but it's very melodic, based on a lot of vocals."

Guitarist Paul Marcotte added "We're fairly eclectic on what our influences are. We're not afraid to try new things.  A listen to the three-piece tape they ,produced recently at Red Stripe Studio in North Burnaby would confirm the assessment: all three songs are lively with a strong rhythmic component, and all three are definitely the work of the same band, but they're not just reworking the same idea three times.

The first song on the tape, Keep It Together, is a '60s inspired rocker, very danceable, very retro. The second song, Critzer, is described by Schubert as "a bit more sophisticated, a melodic story, but still poppy." The third, Not The One, is described by Marcotte as a dance tune. For what it's worth, Not The One is my favorite of the three.

Schubert and Marcotte are very excited about the demo tape, in part because Michael Landolt agreed to do the recording engineering for them after hearing them play the Starfish Room. "He was doing the sound there, and said he liked our sound," Schubert said. Landolt has worked with 54-40, Mae Moore and Sons of Freedom, so his praise has some weight to it.

The tape is not the only new thing for this group. The band changed its name earlier this month from SugarCandy Mountain - a name they'd been earning a following with - to Velour following the departure of one of its members. Besides, SCM was just too long a name.  The three remaining members are Schubert - no relation to the composer, he thinks, Marcotte, and Flavio Monopoli, the band's longest-serving member.  The band produces a surprisingly big sound for being so small. Schubert says the departure of the fourth member has been a good thing. "It's a lot easier to meld with just three people."  "We've got good rapport with just the three of us," added Marcotte. "The music is tighter."  "We've been told we've improved since we've just had the three people."

Unlike many bands, where the members all grew up together or met at school, the members of Velour are all from other places. Marcotte, 30, grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Monopoli, 24, is a transplanted Montrealer and Schubert, 23, hails from Winnipeg.  Monopoli and Schubert met through the Georgia Straight classified section, when Monopoli placed an ad and Schubert survived the audition process. Marcotte joined later when he was introduced by a former guitarist.  But although their meeting was somewhat haphazard, their approach to their music is anything but. With the standard set by Monopoli's iron-clad work ethic, the band is working hard and pleased with progress.  "It's a rarity to find three people who are like-minded, with similar ability, experience and desire to succeed," Schubert said. "Right now the way we are as a three-piece band is almost magical."  Asked to describe the magic, Marcotte grinned and said "It's like the Grinch and his heart expanding three times. That's what it's like."

Velour's next time on stage is Saturday, Feb. 3, when they and Daytona play the Gastown Music Hall. And March 7 they will be playing the Starfish Room (formerly called Club Soda) with the Mean Reds. They've also played the Malcolm Lowry Room on East Hastings several times and hope to again, so keep in touch. - Margot Barton, The News, 28 January 1996.