Fefe Dobson, next Canadian star?

[rocky]

With a very limited amount of exposure its tough to deceide what we have on our hands with Fefe Dobson. She a Canadian girl with a rock influence, but could branch out into pop very easily. One big hit so far "Bye,Bye Boyfriend", I hope that she can push Avril away from the spotlight soon.

umusic.ca/fefedobson/index.php

[toppler]

Well i hope they push each other of the charts so we got room for some real music on the charts again.

[marciana]

I didn't know her, so I went to the site, saw the videos, and my first opinion remains of the following :

a) fefe's definitelly more "rock" than avril ever could be.

b) If anyone can take avril off the charts and make her disappear I'd very much say thank you, but i don't think Fefe will be it.

c) Fefe isn't much to my tastes, but apparently she does write her own stuff ( let's just hope it's not the "write her own stuff" avril kind - that consists of a multitude of writers helping her out) so good for her.

d) it sucks that people praise bad bad canadian imports like Avril, and they spread like disease ... when good music like Danko gets little mention and recognition.

[Tidyman]

Sounds as though Toppler and maricana have already decided! Guys you are tough, but extremely wise critics.

Marci that's an impressive summation considering you've never heard of Fefe Dobson before today. About point c) I would bet serious dollars that the young Miss Dobson has some songwriting help - at least on the two singles I've heard.

About point d? Don't even get me started on the music industry in North America (right rock?). But here's one (actually two) of the biggest reasons for Miss Lavigne's success.

www.vh1.com/artists/news/1474259/07182003/lavigne_avril.jhtml

[marciana]

Thanks Tidy for that link ! If Avril was worth my time i could actually write a book called "Miss Avril LaFraude" with all the stuff i already know about her. I said 'if' she was worth it

[Sac]

I could not agree with all of you more... Both those "artists" are really really worthless. Its strange that the label companies can set up a whole artist, even before they have found a real person! First they decide the style, clothes, boy or girl, name and then last the human being who should actualy sing. It sucks.

But I guess that is the way of the future. I mean, how many bands on the toplists now are real bands, who met and decided to start a band? Brittney? No way. Aguiliera (or how ever that name is spelled ;D)? Defenetly not. And on and on and on...

But there are good stuff too. Like Danko Jones!!!!

[marciana]

It gets harder and harder to find self made bands these days. And now it's even worse because in the music world things really aren't as they seem. Most things we see are just Label's productions, puppets, and what the artists really are, as people, doesn't seam to matter.

But then we have music like DJ and you know that there's REAL hope for music

[rocky]

Her 2nd vid is in rotation on tv music channels, it rawks, look out world, here she comes Regardless of all the other questions she is talented, very talented in fact, nuff said for me, u go girl.

umusic.ca/

[kevin]

marciana said:

Thanks Tidy for that link ! If Avril was worth my time i could actually write a book called "Miss Avril LaFraude" with all the stuff i already know about her. I said 'if' she was worth it

Marciana....you and I could learn to get along:) I have nothing against Avril personally. I'm from her home town, I'm a musician and I've worked with a number of the people that "got her started". I'm happy for her and don't begrudge her success. That said, the musician in me gets really irked when I see features lke the one that appeared on CBC's The National last week. They would like the world to believe that Napanee, Ont is now the rock and roll capital of Canada. They describe the emreging music scene.here. What a crock! There is no music scene here. Avril has talent, but it's all superficial. She's the classic "right girl in the right place" scenario. It's not like there was an active scene in her town where local burgeoning songwriters could perform their work in all kinds of hip venues. She was literally singing karaoke to country songs at the local waterfront on Sunday afternons. She sang on some demos for local "folk" ( read "hacks") musicians.She entered a contest on a local radio station by submitting a karaoke voice-over of a Shania Twain song. She won and the prize was an appearance on-stage with Shania in Ottawa. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and it doesn't hurt your career aspirations when the person you're imitating is married to one of the biggest wheels in the record industry. There seems to be this impression of a young, tormeted girl writing songs in her bedroom and longing for her shot at fame and fortune. Yeah right! The Napanee music scene they refer to is a handful of horrific high school punk bands that literally stink out loud. That's it. When my band released our first CD to critical acclaimin nearby Kingston ( a town the actually does have a music scene....David Usher, the Hip, the Headstones, The Mahones, Ryan Malcolm, Juno nominee Georgette Fry) the Napanee papers wouldn't even review it. All they care about is Avril, Avril, Avril and I deeply resent it. They do not acknowledge the handful of working musicians that make thier living at it and still live in the community.They don't recognize the dozens of people that came from this town and went on to successful careers as music teacher elsewhere. I personally know at least 8. I have nothing against her, but the media's perception of her and the attention she garnishes is absolutely sickening. I wouldn't blame her if she never returned her. The town is lucky she even acknowledges it's existence. Local business and the town itself have shamelessly exploited her succees to further their own cause. They certainly never did anything to advance her career in the first place. I know I sound bitter, but this is a subject that always gets my motor revved up. ARRRRRGH!!!!

[jackyfromjudy]

Kevin said:

Marciana....you and I could learn to get along:) I have nothing against Avril personally. I'm from her home town, I'm a musician and I've worked with a number of the people that "got her started". I'm happy for her and don't begrudge her success. That said, the musician in me gets really irked when I see features lke the one that appeared on CBC's The National last week. They would like the world to believe that Napanee, Ont is now the rock and roll capital of Canada. They describe the emreging music scene.here. What a crock! There is no music scene here. Avril has talent, but it's all superficial. She's the classic "right girl in the right place" scenario. It's not like there was an active scene in her town where local burgeoning songwriters could perform their work in all kinds of hip venues. She was literally singing karaoke to country songs at the local waterfront on Sunday afternons. She sang on some demos for local "folk" ( read "hacks") musicians.She entered a contest on a local radio station by submitting a karaoke voice-over of a Shania Twain song. She won and the prize was an appearance on-stage with Shania in Ottawa. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and it doesn't hurt your career aspirations when the person you're imitating is married to one of the biggest wheels in the record industry. There seems to be this impression of a young, tormeted girl writing songs in her bedroom and longing for her shot at fame and fortune. Yeah right! The Napanee music scene they refer to is a handful of horrific high school punk bands that literally stink out loud. That's it. When my band released our first CD to critical acclaimin nearby Kingston ( a town the actually does have a music scene....David Usher, the Hip, the Headstones, The Mahones, Ryan Malcolm, Juno nominee Georgette Fry) the Napanee papers wouldn't even review it. All they care about is Avril, Avril, Avril and I deeply resent it. They do not acknowledge the handful of working musicians that make thier living at it and still live in the community.They don't recognize the dozens of people that came from this town and went on to successful careers as music teacher elsewhere. I personally know at least 8. I have nothing against her, but the media's perception of her and the attention she garnishes is absolutely sickening. I wouldn't blame her if she never returned her. The town is lucky she even acknowledges it's existence. Local business and the town itself have shamelessly exploited her succees to further their own cause. They certainly never did anything to advance her career in the first place. I know I sound bitter, but this is a subject that always gets my motor revved up. ARRRRRGH!!!!

So you don't like her? ;D

[Powdered Toast Man]

Hey Kevin - I hear you there.

It's the same thing with Winnipeg, MB. This city loves to tout how we're this place that is such a musical hotbed of talent - but the local music scene which once was so vibrant is now completely dead. Yes, we had bands come out of here - a long time ago (they will not let us forget the Guess Who, even though they stopped being relevant over 20 years ago). The point is that there is nowhere for local original bands to play here and in the places that ARE still left, no one goes to see said local bands. There is some good stuff here, but no one in this city cares. Mid 90's there were about 10 local clubs that supported original rock. At the moment, there are 2, sometimes 3 left. I just get sick of the hipocrasy of the local media in how they want to believe that there's such a big music scene here but in reality the local press all but ignores the talent here and does nothing to foster growth for the scene.

Avril... I don't know enough about her to comment in detail. All I can say is that from here singles it's just bland, radio friendly songs that are doing nothing to progress music in any way. Same goes for Fefe Dobson - just another disposable artist who will be the "it" girl for awhile and then disappear when she's no longer useful (or rather, sellable).

This is why we have not seen a big music change and why we're constantly bombarded with one after another cookie cutter bands that all sound and look the same. Like what is the freakin deal with Good Charlotte?! It looks like someone took A Simple Plan and dressed them up like Rancid. Utter garbage. Then, record labels have the gall to blame the internet for poor CD sales! Uh, maybe the product is just crappy? The point I'm trying to make here is that there will not be another music and style movement again. "Grunge", in the 90's, was the last time it will happen. Why? Because the record labels won't let it happen. They step on anything that is coming up the pipe that sounds different. Since they control the mainstream, they will spoon feed us what to listen to. Now, this isn't to suggest that different music will not or does not exist, but instead of a major movement, there will be smaller "niche" pockets where certain bands or styles are popular.

Ack! This is getting too long. *end rant*

[kevin]

Sadly, so much of what the public buys is fed to us by the recording industry. We are dictated to as to what we wear, drive and listen to. It was the same way in the 80's with all the big-hair bands droning out keyboard dominant dance tunes year after year. So far, the new millinnium has not been good to pop music. All hip-hop music sounds exactly the same to me. I couldn't identify one artist from another by listening on the radio. There have always been perioda when originality took a vaction. I've always loved bands that were completely unique....The Police, Queen, Rush, Genesis, Bare Naked Ladies, Santana, Supertramp....anything that had a distinctive, recognizable sound of it's own. When my band plays or someone buys the CD, the comment I hear the most is that they've never heard anyone that sounds like us. That may be a polite way of saying they hate it:) But the point is we're proud of the originality. I wouldn't want to record anything that is just rehashed . Speaking of rants I'm done.

[bakerychiky]

i'm sorry but i can't deny my feeling for fefe...i got her album for christmas and her songs just stick in my head...i love her...yah i'm going to become her on muchmusics becoming one day.....okee so i'm weird sue me:P

[Tidyman]

That would be great - bakerychiky on Becoming Fefe Dobson. Or better yet, Much In Your Space! You could get made over like Fefe AND they would redesign your room! Bye bye boyfriend - hello new flatscreen TV.

Having seen and heard a little more from Miss Dobson, I'm more convinced than ever she's not for me. She has a lot in common with Avril Lavigne; a little too bubblegum for my taste, and obviously targeted towards a younger audience. She is cute though, I'll give her that.

[rocky]

I'm sticking to my guns on this gurrl, she is different than Avril. Check this story out:
......................................................................................

The Fabulous Fefe Dobson
Music biz buzzin' about young Scarborough rocker
By JANE STEVENSON
Toronto Sun
Meet the new Avril -- Fefe Dobson. Same as the old Avril? Not exactly.

But fellow Canadian songbirds Dobson and Avril Lavigne do have similar-sounding voices, pop-rock songs about teenaged angst and -- outwardly anyway -- tough-girl appearances.

The 18-year-old Dobson, whose self-titled debut has sold 400,000 copies in North America since its Dec. 9 release and earned her "one-to-watch" status in everything from Entertainment Weekly to Rolling Stone, doesn't hear or see the similarities.

And neither, apparently, does Lavigne.

"We both think that we're completely different," says Dobson, a native of Scarborough, down the line from Manchester before wrapping up a two-week opening slot on Justin Timberlake's U.K. tour.

"Everyone might have almost the same inspirations, in a way, but everyone's very different."

Not that the comparison actually bothers Dobson, who is the product of a Scottish-Irish-Dutch mom and a Jamaican father.

"I really don't mind. I mean it doesn't bug me, because it's very natural to be compared. I mean apples and oranges get compared because they're both juicy. It's okay to be compared. It's nothing to be upset about."

In fact, it turns out the two young Ontario pop stars -- Lavigne hails from Napanee -- are friendly after having met for the first time at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas.

"Avril actually called me a couple of days ago," Dobson says. "I haven't gotten back to her yet 'cause I've been so busy. But she's cool. We've hung out a couple of times."

Larry LeBlanc, Canadian bureau chief of Billboard magazine whose son, Robin, was in musical theatre with Dobson at Wexford Collegiate, agrees that Dobson is the new Canadian artist du jour.

And while he understands the Avril comparison, he thinks Dobson is appealing to a more limited demographic.

"I don't think she'll be the next Avril," he says. "Avril was a pure pop child, the type of artist that a lot of teenagers immediately could identify with. They couldn't be Britney Spears, the girl at the prom, but they could be Avril. All kinds of small and large towns have girls exactly like Avril.

"Fefe -- no. She's got an urban image, but if you listen to her music, it isn't urban. It's harder to identify with her.

"And to be honest with you, this is an interesting album but I don't think it's the album. I'm struck more by her talent than I was by the record."

Craig Halket, MuchMusic's senior music programmer, says her non-traditional image is what has set her apart from the pack.

"It's not typical, and I think that's good," he says. "And I think that's why we get excited. Here's a Canadian of African origin doing angry rock music. It's fun and it's exciting when there's something a little different.

"You look at Fefe, she's got a genuine edge, sort of like when Alanis re-launched her career, what was a genuine angst, it doesn't seem put on," continues Halket.

"It seems like she's singing about things she means. So I think there was a buzz that happened there, and we got on board."

Dobson did manage to snag that coveted Timberlake opening spot.

Just five years ago, Dobson had a major crush on the pop performer, whose NSYNC posters she used to have on her bedroom wall.

"Oh, yeah, I've loved Justin since I was 13 but it's definitely controlled now," says Dobson. "I'm becoming an adult."

The first time Dobson had to perform with him she managed to keep it together.

"I was a little nervous, but I was more excited. I was just really excited to meet him and get on the stage, but it all went over well."

In addition to the high-profile gig with Timberlake, Dobson was scheduled to appear on Jay Leno last night followed by daytime appearances on Ellen today and Sharon Osbourne next Tuesday.

"Everything that's happening in my life is just really exciting," says Dobson. "I try not to let it be intimidating 'cause then I won't really enjoy it. I just make sure I get my sleep and I work out and I'm good."

Her latest single, Everything, is the first track from The Perfect Score, the teen-friendly film about a group of students who steal an SAT test. It opens in theatres tomorrow. One of the movie's stars, Erika Christensen (Traffic, Swimfan), even co-stars in Dobson's video for the song. "It's really great," says Dobson. "It's awesome to be a part of that. It's really, really good for me."

MuchMusic's Halket says the Everything video -- her third in Canada -- is "The Big One" this week at MuchMusic, meaning it will get shown at least 30 times a week. (Heavy rotation is usually 20 times a week.)

"We just really feel it," he says. "Certainly, it's nice to see when a Canadian artist can hook up with a major motion picture too. It's very exciting."

For her part, Dobson will attend the L.A. premiere of The Perfect Score and isn't shy about admitting she has acting aspirations.

She's already slated to appear on an upcoming episode of NBC's American Dreams as Tina Turner, singing River Deep, Mountain High. "I definitely want to act. I definitely want to do some stuff like that. I mean music's my No. 1 priority right now. But I would love to do a film, kind of like Natural Born Killers. I love Oliver Stone, I also just love Juliette Lewis. She really inspired me."

Next? More touring in the U.S. and eventually Canada. "My dream show? I would love to play, like, when I get the status, SkyDome," says Dobson.

She certainly was always vocal about her ambitions growing up in Scarborough.

"And people would always be like, 'We know Fefe! We've heard it a million times.' And I would be like, 'Yep, well it's true and it's going to happen very soon.' I would just be so confident about it because I was just really passionate about music."

"Hopefully they're proud," adds Dobson of her hometown.

Dobson, who has sounded remarkably calm about the buzz surrounding her, does admit it's been a whirlwind.

"It's pretty insane," she says. "I do have to admit, it's pretty nuts. But it's like everything I've ever wanted. Nuts is okay when it comes down to a dream come true."

After an early rough start with the now defunct Zomba Records Canada -- who signed Dobson to a development deal at age 15 -- she later signed to Chris Smith Management, the same company that discovered Nelly Furtado.

Smith eventually arranged a showcase performance for Universal Music Canada and Island-Def Jam, who signed her immediately.

"I think, right now, she's very much needed within our business," says LeBlanc. "This is youth personified, and that's what I like about it. And this is going to bring kids back into the record store. Or downloading in front of their computers. It generates interest and excitement. I think there's a lot more to her that we're going to see. Give this girl, two, three years, she's going to be incredible."

Dobson says she was musically inspired by Michael Jackson, Silverchair's Daniel Johns, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, John Lennon and David Bowie.

She was introduced to the older artists by her Toronto album producer Jay Levine, a former member of Prozzak and The Philosopher Kings.

"He really opened my mind up, since I was like 16, to like all different types and sorts of music," says Dobson. "I think I've even gone past him now. I mention artists, and he's, like, 'What the hell?'

"Jay and I just hit it off," she continues. "Like, after 10 minutes knowing each other, we wrote a song. I just knew it was special."

[I like to ball]

I liked ToppleR's comment...I think he summed it up perfectly.

For me, she may as well join Billy Crapgan in musical hell. ;D

[spunshuga]

Hmm hmm hmm I don't know what to say here....although she sings the same kinda stuff as avril, and she's not a musical genius and blah blah blah she's manufactured..I like "bye bye boyfriend" & "rock it till u drop it" and I don't know why, because I do hate avril with a passion...i don't find that she's like her.
Avril's whiney..fe fe is pissed off and happy about it.
I guess it's like christina & britney..people who like them like one better than the other. I don't worship Fe fe but i like her...plus bakery would kick me out if i said I hate her ..lol jk!

[Tidyman]

MuchMusic likes to play Fe Fe alongside Hilary Duff. A fair comparison, I think.

[spunshuga]

Are u serious...poor fe fe...hilary duff should jump off the CN tower and catch her eyelid on a nail! Grrr I hate her almost as much as avril...ALMOST!

[MusicallyObsessed]

I've heard all Dobson's singles via her videos and I think she's just friggin' atrocious. And I'm not above admitting I like slick pop music because I do love stuff like Hanson and Kelly Clarkson and I recently discovered a group called The Veronicas, whose music is totally geared towards teenage girls. Uh, I'm a 36 year old male.
Hey, your ears like what they like, right? ;D

One of Dobson's videos is great for a laugh, though. It's just cheesy as hell and the topper is when she ends up playing her hard edged shit at CBGB's, if you can believe that. I have one of those digital video recorders that has a memory buffer so you can go back and rewind the program even if you're not actually recording and I had to rewind twice because I couldn't believe she (or her "people") had the balls to try that.