CONTEST: Win tix to see the Tom Fun Orchestra live along with a copy of their latest CD!!!

Way back in January, I told you about a nine piece cluster rock outfit from Cape Breton known as the Tom Fun Orchestra. Described by many as Tom Waits meeting the Arcade Fire, the band has a hyperactive sound that is authentic in keeping with its Maritime origins, while still incorporating enough outside influences such as jazz, blues, mob rock and horn section empowered epics to keep things very interesting throughout the course of the entire album. If you're interested in other bands to name drop in association with them, they actually remind me of The Pogues more than anyone else, while their CD, You Will Land With A Thud, was produced by Gordan Gano of the Violent Femmes. Still, as great as the album is, nothing could have prepared me for the merry chaos that ensued upon seeing them live. This band is fun, fun, fun and as I type this at the halfway mark of this current concert going year, their January show at the Horseshoe is sitting comfortably amongst the top three shows that I've attended so far this year. It even had the ability to arouse the generally stoic ensemble that is a Toronto audience, and this, my friends, is no simple feat.

Well if you were one of the unfortunate ones who had to miss that show, thankfully, you didn't have to wait too long for that second chance because their summer tour has begun, which means that they're returning to The Horseshoe Tavern on Thursday August 6th. Opening for them will be local band The Coast and a solo set by fellow Tom Funner Carmen Townsend. The show is going to set you back a whopping 8 bucks.

CONTEST: Still, if you'd rather spend that $8 on beer, than I've got two tickets to this show to giveaway, along with a copy of Tom Fun Orchestra' latest CD: You Will Land With A Thud. If you're interested in this one, email me at quadb2001 [at] gmail [dot] com with "I Want To Tom Fun Tonight" in the subject line, and your full name in the body.

Contest is only open to those who are geographically able to attend the show in Toronto.
Contest closes on Monday August 3rd.

Myspace: Tom Fun Orchestra
Myspace: The Coast
Myspace: Carmen Townsend
Video: The Answer on youtube
Video: The Vacation on youtube
Video: Watchmaker on youtube
Download: Highway Siren Song Breakdown mp3

Download: Last Of The Curious Thieves mp3

"Like a freight burning down the track, illuminating all the things you lack..."

Reviews of Sunparlour Players, The Grass and Dinosaur Jr.

Over the past couple of months, secular work and concerts have pretty much taken over the bulk of my life, meaning that I haven't had much of an opportunity to tell you about some of the CD's that I've been enjoying lately. So, why don't I do that now:

Sunparlour Players - Wave North

I'm kinda weird sometimes. There are times where I look just as forward to disliking an album, as much as I look forward to liking one. The hype surrounding Sunparlour Players' latest release was of the sort that I was actually looking forward to spouting several thoughts on what makes this album so overrated, and why everyone should accept that my opinion is right and everyone else's is wrong. After all, I saw them open for The Sadies last year, and although I enjoyed the show, it was certainly not in a 'best artist ever' sort of way. It was a good, energetic show. Period. Therefore, the album could not possible be 'best of the year' worthy, could it?

Well, that slurping that you might be hearing, is that of an arrogant music blogger licking his wounds. Right from the opening track, entitled North, the stripped down, yet shredding vocals of Andrew Penner have pierced my very being. The song opens with subtlety, as each strum of the guitar gets thicker and thicker before the song explodes in a way that reminds me of some of Glen Hansard's more powerful pieces in the movie Once. The album takes that opening point and continues to build on it, creating a sound that is much fuller than an ordinary three piece would normally be able to pull off. This is illustrated most obviously on the first single, Battle of 77, which wouldn't sound all that out of place on an Arcade Fire album except, once again, this is only a three piece. A grand achievement indeed. For the most part, the simpler tracks work just as well. Joy In What You Lack is one example, where the arrangement is as simple as it gets, and the lyrics are even simpler, yet there is still something epic about the song's presentation. An area where the two elements combine and create something really special is with the song Nuclear, which begins with a down south vocal and banjo accompaniment. This creates a certain historical mood that gets blown to smithereens during the song's second half, where the pace picks up, the tempo changes and the song becomes enigmatic.

Sunparlour Players have broken me down and taken their folksy brand of gospel-rock to the next level, and it'll be great to see how this translates to their live show, which I'm sure I'll be taking in sometime before the year is through.

Sunparlour Players are playing the Hillside Music Festival in Guelph from July 24th - 26th, and the Summerworks Music Series at The Great Hall in Toronto on August 14th.

Myspace: Sunparlour Players
Download: Battle Of 77 mp3


The Grass - Rogue Waves

I don't usually listen to the CD's that I didn't ask for right away, simply because I can't listen to everything. But there are two reasons why I popped this one in my CD player earlier than usual: First of all, I quickly looked at the title and mistakenly thought it was a new album by the band Rogue Wave. But secondly, and this is the main reason, the CD's trippy cover looked like something circa 1967, leading me to believe that this is likely another psych-rock recording that I am sure to dig. Looks like, in this case, I can judge a book by its cover, because psych-rock this is, and sure enough, I'm digging it immensely.

Upon researching this band from Nova Scotia, I was blown away to find out that this is their fourth album. It certainly sounds like a band that has experience behind it, but how come I've never heard of them before? To pigeonhole them into the psych-rock genre isn't exactly accurate, since they seem to find inspiration in all of the music of the sixties. The album opens with the soulful piano of Ain't Runnin' Scared, which is a song that oozes a real Motown vibe. Spreadin' The Blues, as its title would suggest, is a bluesier number, reminiscent of some of the classic rock output of artists like Cream, or perhaps even the Grateful Dead without all of the jammy-ness. Songs like Lucky and Without You take us back to the early 60's, with a sweetly saccharine malt shop style; the latter song even boasting a syrupy female vocal that is hard not to be charmed by. The psych-rock tag gets more appropriate in the loud and freaky The Ballad of Davey Jones while their sense of melody in Down At The Station reminds me of Big Star, Matthew Sweet or even The Action's Rolled Gold album. And the whole things ends with the southern rock jam of Skyline Daisy, showing that the band still knows how to bring the country that earned them a nom for Best Country/Bluegrass Recording at the Nova Scotia Music Awards back in 2006.

Rogue Waves is a really good album that makes me want to go back and examine the rest of their catalogue since they seem to find inspiration amongst many of my personal faves.

Above photo is by Mallory Ryan.
Myspace: The Grass
Download: The Ballad Of Davey Jones mp3


Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

Dinosaur Jr. is sort of like the AC/DC of indie rock in the sense that they don't really change much from album to album but for whatever reason, we all seem to be quite content with that, myself included. In fact, personally, I wouldn't want it any other way. I suppose it's just because they're so great at what they do, that the old "if it ain't broke" dictum applies here, not to mention the personal nostalgic effect that they seem to have on me.

Their great comeback album of 2007, Beyond, was way better than anyone expected from them at this latter stage of their career, ranking among some of the best work they've ever done, and while Farm is perhaps a lesser album, it may be simply a matter of the surprise factor having been taken away. There is nothing wrong with this album whatsoever, and it is proof positive that the magic that is Dinosaur Jr is showing no signs of fading anytime soon. J. Mascis' voice is still as world weary as ever, and this time around it seems to be exposing a little bit more heartbreak than last time around, but it works well. The band has always been great at performing an excellent straight forward rock song, and there's plenty of them here, the best being Over It and I Want You To Know. The contributions by Lou Barlow add enough variety to keep things interesting. Your Weather is one of these songs, an almost Beatlesque number with great harmonies and an infectious melody. As usual, the standout tracks are the ones that prove wholeheartedly that J. Mascis is one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. The Crazy Horse comparisons have been dropped before, but take a listen to the guitar work at the end of Said The People or, even more notably, the blisteringly euphoric I Don't Wanna Go There and try to convince me that the man is not worthy of, at least being the runner-up king to Shaky Young's Like A Hurricane throne. When the band comes to The Phoenix in a couple of months, that song is sure to rise as triumphantly as anything else in their catalogue, which means that I may have to make a special effort to be there. We'll see...

Dinosaur Jr. is playing The Phoenix on September 30th.

Myspace: Dinosaur Jr.
Download: I Want You To Know mp3

"Honky Tonks and Biker Bars"

Reviews of Son Volt & Wilco

For many, the battle of the ex-Uncle Tupelo members has always had one obvious champion, that being Mr. Jeff Tweedy. I swear that I don't deliberately try to be different, but personally, I've always been partial to the works of Jay Farrar. Some have criticized Son Volt's lack of adventure, but I think his solo work has been a successful enough avenue for his specific brand of experimentation. His band Son Volt, however, revels in consistency. When they release an album, I know that I am going to enjoy it, pretty much, from start to finish. It's going to have some great guitar work, obscure lyricism, and that voice! That Farrar vocal! Understated, yes, but still one of the most captivating voices in rock history, in my not so humble opinion. When it comes to Wilco however, I just don't know what to expect. This is good, I enjoy the challenge, but it does mean than not every album is going to hit a home run. While I'll admit that Farrar has never released an album quite as brilliant as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, he has also never released anything quite as forgettable as Sky Blue Sky yet either.

I'll be the first to admit that reviewing both of these albums in the same post is a bit juvenile and silly, but I picked up the albums at the same time and I listened to them on the same day too. Add to that the fact that, as much as I try not to, I can't help but compare the two of them, and my hands become tied.

Son Volt - American Central Dust

For Son Volt's sixth release, the band once again goes back to the traditional country style of their masterpiece Trace, as opposed to some of the saxophone-y dabbling that they incorporated into 2007's The Search. This is an area that they're apparently very comfortable in, and although the argument has been made that the band is stagnating, I'm having trouble accepting that. Take for example Down To The Wire, a brilliant song that thumps along with a thick drum sound, tremolo guitar and a brash sounding electric piano, that is actually somewhat reminiscent of some of the songs on his underrated solo album Sebastopol. Sure, the lyrics are obtuse, but hey, Farrar just does that sometimes. It doesn't detract from the fact that the song is intoxicating in its grainy assertiveness. Cocaine and Ashes is another beauty, with Farrar's vocals accompanied mainly by a piano, fiddle and some slightly imperfect harmonies, which seems appropriate in a song that's inspired by Keith Richards. When The Wheels Don't Move is probably the heaviest track on the record, as it displays an arrogance that reminds me of some of Steve Earle's bluesier songs of protest. And then there's Sultana, my personal favourite song on the album. This mesmerizing ballad is about the greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history: the explosion of the SS Sultana in April 1865. Nowhere do Farrar's vocals haunt so successfully than on this track, which manages to reach epic proportions while still remaining interestingly subdued. Think of it as this generation's Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

As per usual, Son Volt has crafted another album that is consistent as it boasts not a dud track in the lot. It's true that the album's subtlety may require repeat listenings for the full impact to take effect, but once it does, it just may be the second best album in the band's ever lengthening catalog.

Myspace: Son Volt
Download: Down To The Wire mp3

Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

I have to admit that I don't get as excited about a new Wilco album as I used to. They've easily secured a spot as one of my favourite bands of all time, and they would really have to screw up royally to be ousted out of there. But the last time that I remember being really blown away by a Wilco song was Spiders (Kidsmoke) from the Ghost Is Born album. Since then, they've been putting out songs that are very good, but pretty much leaving me stale upon repeat listenings. For the most part, this album is quite similar to the 70's AM radio sound of Sky Blue Sky, although there is a bit more adventure during the early stages of the album. By now, most have probably heard the opening track, hilariously entitled Wilco (The Song). It's a corny, but fun upbeat number, not unlike some of the rockers on Being There. Deeper Down is a progressive little number that actually ventures relatively close to being a bit of a chamber rock cut, with some stunning guitar work from Nels Cline. The fourth song on the album is one that will likely be amongst my favourite Wilco tunes of all time. Bearing some definite similarities to the aforementioned Spiders, Black Bull Nova has a steady new wave keyboard sound along with an immediate vocal by Tweedy. What makes the song so great is the instrumental breakdowns that allow the band to really shine, proving that they are definitely a collection of the most inventive musicians out there today. The song continues to build and build throughout the course of its nearly six minute length, culminating in a dual guitar assault that I dig immensely. After such a strong start, it's a shame that the rest of the album plays it so safe. That's not to say that all the songs are bad, they're just not the type of thing that I could see myself revisiting all that often. You And I, the much hyped Feist duet is sweet and sappy and pleasant enough, but ultimately forgettable. I kinda dig Sunny Feeling because it reminds me a bit of Big Star meets George Harrison. (Harrison-like guitar work also features prominently in You Never Know.)

Overall, the album has a bit more going for it than the last one, but I suppose the days of Tweedy getting really experimental and interesting are gone for now. I'll have to give the album a few more listens before I pass final judgement, but it's hard for me to do that when I keep putting Black Bull Nova on repeat before just going back to that awesome Son Volt album.

Myspace: Wilco
Stream: Wilco (The Album) at NPR music

Sonic Youth w/The Entrance Band @ Massey Hall

I have stated before, without a hint of irony, that Sonic Youth is the best band in the world. That is significantly different than saying that they're my favourite band in the world. Although they would likely settle nicely somewhere in my top 30, it's by means of their longevity, mixed with their continually consistent relevance, that I feel I could accurately make such a statement. They've gone from being an independent band, bucking at the system by doing exactly what they wanted to do, to being the only band signed to a major label that continued bucking successfully. Their latest album, The Eternal, sees the band returning back to their indie roots by releasing it on Matador Records, and once again, this is done without compromise. Although some of their albums have been a little bit more melodic than others, they have never recorded anything resembling a commercial sellout and while it's fair to say that they're older stuff is better, technically it's more because those songs came out first, as opposed to actually being better. Continuing in that trend of doing whatever they want, their appearance at the sonically pleasing Massey Hall was not that of a group of old timers recording their unplugged album. This was by all intents and purposes a punk rock show, albeit a slightly larger one than most punkers might be accustomed to.

The opening band was The Entrance Band from Los Angeles. As they started, they felt to me like a perfect complement to Sonic Youth's noisy sense of scatter, but by about two songs in, it became apparent to me that these guys were far less cacophony, and far more wankerific stoner rock. There were heavily shrill vocals and long extended guitar solos aplenty, and at times it felt like they were only a Hammond B3 organ away from Smoke On The Water. Still, although I found it enjoyable enough, about 15 minutes in I had gotten the point, and I was admittedly getting antsier and antsier at the anticipation of seeing Moore and Gordon assault that stage.

When it came time for their set to begin, the droning guitars and the nimble vibrations made it obvious that, although an assault would likely take place soon enough, right now was not the time for it. They opened their set with She Is Not Alone from their self titled debut EP, which incidentally is the only album that I don't have by them. This subtle number was an intriguing way to start their set for sure, since the song itself may have led some to believe that the show was going to be tailor made for the die hard, long time followers of the band. By song two, which was Sacred Trickster off The Eternal, it was apparent that this was not going to be so. They continued to play all eleven cuts from the new album, and while that would annoy me if this was anybody else, once again, Sonic Youth has always been nothing if not consistent. This means that the new album is awesome enough that they can get away with a set heavy on new material. The songs translated exceptionally well to the live stage. This isn't to say that I didn't miss hearing some of my favourites. The three that I was looking forward to the most were Kissability, Catholic Block and Teenage Riot, none of which were featured that evening. My number four however, was The Sprawl (can you tell that Daydream Nation was one of the defining releases of my formative years?) and they played the crap out of that song. It was also great to hear Death Valley 69 from the Bad Moon Rising album at the end of the night, and once again they played it as if it had only come out yesterday. I can see from some of the pictures floating around of the evening, that Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley are certainly looking their age these days, but from where I was sitting, they looked as young as ever, and their youthful energy allowed me to ride that time capsule into my past and enjoy this show, not as just another concert, but as a significant event.

This show has already been reviewed all over the place with far more professional pictures at Chromewaves, For The Records, The National Post, Eye, Fazer and Now.

Photos: Sonic Youth / The Entrance Band @ Massey Hall on flickr
Myspace: Sonic Youth
Myspace: The Entrance Band
Download: Sacred Trickster mp3

Tottenham Bluegrass Festival 2009

A few weeks ago I stepped outside of my usual indie music snob comfort zone by attending an R&B show that featured some of the biggest names in Canadian soul music today. Obviously the broadening of my beard sportin' skinny jean wearin' surroundings proved beneficial in the sense that I enjoyed the show immensely, and it helped me to appreciate more fully the talent involved in urban music today. Well, last weekend, thanks to the kindness of a workmate of mine, I managed to engage myself in a little more musical boundary crossing when I attended the 26th Annual Tottenham Bluegrass Festival which took place at the Tottenham Conservation Area in the town of (you guessed it) Tottenham, Ontario.

To be fair, the leap into bluegrass appreciation was much shorter than the aforementioned R&B jump since a lot of the rock music I listen to owes a great chunk of its existence to this rootsy sub-genre. Artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Robert Plant and Jack White have all dabbled in bluegrass, and others like Wilco and Ryan Adams have openly embraced it as part of their repertoire. Even Tommy Ramone (who is of course, the last surviving original member of The Ramones) is currently touring in his own bluegrass band, Uncle Monk. This actually makes a bit of sense when you consider that the world famous New York punk club where The Ramones got their start was called CBGB, which stands for Country, Bluegrass and Blues.

Yes, there's a good chance that you're already listening to some sort of bluegrass offshoot and enjoying it greatly, whether you realize it or not. This festival of course, is catering to those who unashamedly DO realize it. This is for all of the artists and fans that openly embrace bluegrass without the irony, soaking in that traditional sound and celebrating it in all of its resonating, and technically demanding, improvisational flatpicking glory. I always had a feeling that I was one of those fans before, but after attending the festival myself, my suspicions have been confirmed: I most definitely am a bluegrass fan!

As we drove through the conservation area to look for a parking spot, I was immediately taken in by the chilled out vibe in amongst the campgrounds. Many people had been camping out for several days, and as I looked around it was clear that there wasn't a site on property that didn't have an array of traditional instruments laid out for the purpose of some all night jamming. It's one thing to appreciate music, but these people lived it. Bluegrass was not something that you just put on the radio in the background while you occupy yourself with other things. For these people, bluegrass was the air that they breathed; their means of survival in many ways. I totally respected that. In fact, to be honest, it was a little bit difficult not to be somewhat envious of it.

This festival has been consistently drawing bluegrass fans from all over North America and around the world for over 26 years now, and each year seems to be a little bit more successful than the one before. Although a wedding reception Saturday night would prevent me from spending the entire day at the fest, I enjoyed soaking in the sun and taking in the sounds of the bands that played that afternoon.

When we arrived there, Tottenham's own Hometown Bluegrass band was just finishing off their set. This is a band that plays a classic style of bluegrass that pays homage to the pioneers of the genre. The instruments are all acoustic and traditional, and although all of the members are insanely talented, violinist Leslie Dawn Knowles seems to be their secret weapon of sorts, as is emphasized by her lightning quick style of fiddle playing. Even the vocals of Wayne Douglas sounded like something you'd hear cracklin' out of a late 40's Appalachian radio station. Personally, I would probably have to get in the proper mindset to listen to their music at home, but on the live stage, it's a real treat to watch such incredible talent.

The next band to take the stage was The Dixie Flyers. This band has been an unstoppable force on the Canadian bluegrass scene since the early 70's, having reaped the praise of many bluegrass institutions including the original pioneer himself, Bill Monroe. Their experience was immediately noticeable as they took to the stage and performed with great confidence and zeal. The band looked like they were genuinely having a good time on stage as they kept the playing loose and somewhat improvisational, allowing the instrumental portions, in particular, to shine. If there was one complaint amongst me and my peers, it was that the sound mix on Al Widmeyer's dobro was a little too low for our liking. The dobro is such a prime instrument in the world of bluegrass that it would have been nice to be able to hear it a little bit better, because from what we could see, the man was very proficient at handling it. Hopefully it all got sorted out in time for the evening show because performance-wise, the band was very impressive.

Taking to the stage next was Bluegrass Diamonds, a band from Memramcook, New Brunswick. Several members of the band are multi-instrumentalists, delving into several different styles of playing. Although the word "bluegrass" is featured prominently in their moniker, the band played more songs in the vein of traditional country music, as opposed to first generation traditional bluegrass music, even pulling out a cover of an old George Jones ballad. They were unique in their ability to alternate between English and French language lyrics which enabled them to standout from the rest. Like the bands that played prior to them however, their shining moments were when they featured their instrumental prowess, most notably when they played a fast paced extended Bill Monroe number that was easily their most impressive moment.

The last band that I saw that day, (not to mention the best) was Dailey & Vincent from Nashville, (pictured above.) Both Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent have had a lot of experience in the world of country, bluegrass and gospel music, having recorded with artists like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Keith Urban, to name a few. The band played with immaculate tightness as they segued from song to song without missing a beat, even at times when the musical style would shift quite drastically. Some of the instrumental pieces whipped by at locomotive speed, and watching the unfaltering chemistry between the banjo, fiddle and mandolin was rather spellbinding. What really set these guys apart from the other performers that I saw was the fact that, as impressive as their instrumentation was, their vocal abilities were equally as awe-inspiring. There was even a moment when they put the instruments down and graced us with an accapella number that was as soul stirring as anything else they played that day.

Being only a casual partaker of all things bluegrass means that when distanced from the live stage, I may not be all that inclined to pop a bluegrass CD into my player on just any given day. Being a rabid fan of musical talent however, means that watching these artists display their craft in such an enthusiastic fashion can't help but be contagious. There are genres that are loads of fun, but rather juvenile in their three chord pursuits. There are other genres that are mindblowing in a technical way, but overwrought with pretentious overindulgence. Bluegrass is probably the most difficult music to play that there is but, it's also incredibly fun. In this way bluegrass stands alone, and having learned that myself, I'm looking forward to possibly heading on out to Tottenham next year to relive this valuable experience again.

Photos: My shots of the Tottenham Bluegrass Festival 2009 are on flickr
Myspace: The Dixie Flyers
Myspace: Dailey & Vincent

'Sup In July: Ten Picks

Being somewhat inspired by my own 'Sup For NXNE post, I thought that I'd try out a slightly different format for my monthly 'Sup In.. post. Instead of spitting out endless recommendations ad nauseum, I'm going to give you ten. These are the ten that are most appealing to me because quite simply, this is my blog. For more detailed listings I would recommend going to Stillepost, Zoilus or Jen's Weekly List (of shows under $10). So, here are my picks:

1. Neko Case /Jason Lytle @ Massey Hall
(Tuesday July 14th; Cost: $29.50-$40.50)

The sultry sound of Neko's pitch perfect voice along with her subdued yet arresting giutar work is highly deserving of only the best acoustics around, and Massey Hall has it. The added bonus of having Jason Lytle (ex of Grandaddy) along for the ride is certainly an ... um ... added bonus.

[Myspaces: Neko Case; Jason Lytle]

2. Broken Social Scene @ Harbourfront
(Saturday July 11th; Cost: Free)

After cancelling their semi annual Island Show due to the excessive noise that will be created by a nearby car race, putting on a free one at Harbourfront was an inspired move indeed. Initially, I had pretty much put this one on my "it's going to be a zoo and I'm not interested in the ensuing chaos" list, but now I'm starting to second guess my choices. Actually, no I'm not because I just remembered that I've got a family thing going on that day. Yep, so won't be there. (Sorry, just blogging out loud again.)

[Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

3. Van Der Graaf Generator @ Hamilton Place Studio
(Sunday July 5th; Cost: $35)

In what is probably my most random pick, legendary 70's proggers VDGG are coming to Hamilton in a somewhat reformed state to play several of their classics. Peter Hammill's voice has a very distinguished yet maniacal Shakespearean tone to it, and their music is that of a free form progressive jazz-rock. A challenging listen for sure, as is clear by the way that my playing their records in the past has managed to clear the room on more than one occasion. Still, they're one of my all time favourite bands, and none other than Johnny Lydon and David Bowie agree with me, so there!

[Myspace: Van Der Graaf Generator]

4. Rural Alberta Advantage / Hooded Fang / Wilderness of Manitoba @ The Horseshoe
(Thursday July 30th; Cost: $12)

Locallers the Rural Alberta Advantage have taken the world by storm, first by knocking them dead at this year's SXSW, and then by signing to the influential Saddle Creek label. Well, they're back in town at the end of the month to celebrate the release of Hometowns on the aforementioned label, and they have a couple of great bands here to support them.

[Myspaces: Rural Alberta Advantage; Hooded Fang; Wilderness of Manitoba]

5. The Zombies @ The Mod Club
(Wednesday July 15th; Cost: $41.50)

It's the year for classic 60's comebacks invading our city. The Sonics have just blown us away with their presence, and now The Zombies are in town to play The Mod Club. Unfortunately the cost is just a little too rich for my blood, but at the very least you should pick up a copy of their classic Odessey and Oracle album and give yourself a taste of what brilliance sounds like.

[Myspace: The Zombies]

6. TWM Presents: One Hit Wonders Night #2 @ Rancho Relaxo
(Friday July 10th; Cost: $7)

I'm still kicking myself for having missed the first edition of, what I hope, will continue to be a regular series at the Rancho. From what've heard, it was more fun than a party over at Vanilla Ice's house. 10 local bands will be playing a brief set of covers by those artists that you loved but may have forgotten all about. Here's who's on the bill: Lovely Killbots, Vive Quebec Libres, Big City Nights Band, Santa With Muscles, Blanc & White, Fresh Blintz, Dancehall Free For All, Wendy Leung, Matt Bahen, and Stepfathers.

7. Peter Murphy / Venus Infers @ Opera House
(Saturday July 11th; Cost: $29.50)

Peter Murphy (pictured above) is one of the most eclectic and bizarre frontmen in history, with his role as the former lead singer of Bauhaus solidifying him as the godfather of goth. I'm pretty sure that he isn't jumping out of coffins as much as he once did, but I hear that he's still one fierce dancer and an absolute marvel to behold. He doesn't do all that many local club dates these days, so this one may be worth catching.

[Myspaces: Peter Murphy; Venus Infers]

8. The Lemonheads / Julia Set Generator @ Lee's Palace
(Saturday July 4th; Cost: $20)

Everytime that I say (or think) that one should catch The Lemonheads when they come to town since they may not ever come again, they always end up coming again. So who knows, they may be back again, but why take that chance? Actually, Evan Dando's band is here promoting their latest release entitled Varshons, which is a covers albums where they take on the likes of Gram Parsons, G.G. Allin and even Christina Aguilera. Should be interesting.

[Myspaces: The Lemonheads; Julia Set Generator]

9. Wavelength 473 feat. Jon Rae Fletcher, Flotilla and Great Bloomers @ Sneaky Dee's
(Sunday July 26th; Cost: PWYC (sugg $5 or $10))

All three of the artists on this bill are spectacular, but it really has been quite a long time since I've seen Great Bloomers and I think that I'm definitely due. They're latest release Speak Of Trouble is seriously about as perfect as an album can get, and actually more diverse than I was expecting.

[Myspaces: Jon Rae Fletcher; Flotilla; Great Bloomers]

10. Sunset Rubdown / The Witchies @ Lee's Palace
(Friday July 10th; Cost: $13adv / $15 door)

I don't really talk about Spencer Krug's experiemental side project Sunset Rubdown all that much but it's not like he needs the publicity. He's established a name for himself based on his unique voice, captivating arrangements and subtle melodies.

[Myspaces: Sunset Rubdown; The Witchies]

Where I'll Be:
It's summertime, which means I've got lots of other things on the go and this is actually the first month in ages where I don't actually have any concert events written in stone as of yet. I'm pretty sure that I'll be at the One Hit Wonders show on the 10th, I'm hoping that I'll catch the Wavelength show and I have my sights set on the RAA too. Other than that, we'll just have to see where the wind will take me in July.

If you're looking for something to do tonight, The Constantines and Chad VanGaalen are playing a free show at the Harbourfront, with Chad coming on at 8pm, The Cons at 9:30. I'm not a huge fan of either but everyone else in the world thinks they're great, so I'd get there early if you're interested.

NXNE 2009 Day 3 featuring The Sonics, The Zoobombs and The Dudes

As the Saturday night of NXNE rolled around, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do all that much. It's been a busy weekend. Still, it didn't bother me one bit just as long as I got to see The Sonics. That was the band that I was anticipating the most and thankfully, I made it back in town just in time to take in their show.

If you would have told me a few years ago that I'd be standing in the front row of a Sonics concert, I would've said that you were crazy. They are a truly legendary band that could honestly be credited with inventing punk rock, even though that claim has been made several times by other artists. But the fact is that having emerged in the early 60's, they displayed that raw rebellious sound before anybody else, influencing everyone from The Stooges and The MC5 to Nirvana and The White Stripes. They broke up about 40 years ago, but when three of the original members reformed the band, the buzz surrounding their scene stealing set at this year's SXSW has been turning into a legend of its own. This meant that anticipation was running high for this NXNE performance.

Admittedly it took a couple of songs before they really found their groove, but once they did, they were unstoppable. Obviously they're no spring chickens, so obviously the youthful abandon that they once possessed was gone and there were times when I couldn't help but wonder if I would be just as enthused about what I was seeing if I was less familiar with them. Still, The Sonics are The Sonics, and when familiar songs like Strychnine and Psycho came along, Gerry Roslie's scratchy throated yelp was as mind numbing as ever. They also performed standards like Have Love Will Travel, Money (That's What I Want) and Louie Louie; the latter of which may have been the rawest sounding version of that song I have ever heard. I was standing with a couple of people who were obviously there for The Sonics the first time around, but when I turned around to look at the crowd. I was amazed at the fact that, by and large, most of them were the same age as the people who usually go to the shows that I attend. Appreciation for musical heritage is very important to me, so it was great to see all of these young 'uns jumping around like crazy, almost as if they were at a White Stripes concert. The band closed with The Witch, and many in the audience were singing, dancing and jumping along, making this a show that will definitely be its own brand of memorable.

Photos: The Sonics @ Yonge & Dundas Square on flickr
Myspace: The Sonics
Video: The Witch on youtube

As you can see by the fact that the picture above is the world's crappiest picture ever, you can probably guess that my attempt to catch The Zoobombs at Velvet Underground after The Sonics show wasn't quite as successful as I had hoped it would be. The show ended about 15 minutes before the Zoobombs were set to go on, so already I knew it was going to be tight. But when I got to Queen Street, I realized that the streetcars weren't doing their thing, because of the god forsaken MMVA preparations taking place. So figuring "what else am I gonna do?", I started power walking along Queen in the hopes of making it to VU in time for the show. As I passed The Horseshoe, I contemplated popping in for Ruby Coast since ultimately I knew that this quest for the Japanese rockers was going to end in futility. But I really wanted to see The Zoobombs. So I shuffled past the 'shoe and kept on course for the 'bombs.

When I got there, it was basically the busiest, fullest, sweatiest venue ever. My badge got me in, but as I tried to force my way through the massive crowd, I realized that it just wasn't going to happen. So I stuck around for a couple of songs and then trekked on out to see what else I could find nearby. From what I did hear the band sounded truly explosive, and I really hope that I get the chance to see them another time, because right up my alley this was!

The Zoobombs do have one more show in town at The Silver Dollar on June 30th with The Hoa Hoa's. I'd go if I wasn't already going to see Sonic Youth!!!!

Photo: My one photo which is exactly the same as the one above is up on flickr.
Myspace: The Zoobombs

As I strolled into The Reverb, I remember thinking to myself, "hey now this sounds pretty good." The Dudes were into the latter half of their set and although they may not be the most original sounding band of all time, in many ways they were the perfect sounding band to end a Saturday night. Taking a cue from the ghosts of power pop's past, The Dudes are a rock 'n roll band from Calgary, who play songs that are full of catchy hooks and perfect power chords. You could probably compare these guys to many bands, but a few that popped into my head right away were Thrush Hermit, The Odds, and, call me crazy, but I even heard a smidge of our very own Tin Bangs. Lead vocalist Dan Vacon had an amicable-by-way-of-tailgate-party stage prescence, that caused a few smiles and raised a few cheers. They may not be a band that I would listen to all the time, but if their songs were to pop up on my ipod shuffle, I'm sure it would make my head bob and toe tap.

Photos: The Dudes at The Reverb on flickr.
Myspace: The Dudes

So there you go, my mini NXNE, if you will. Hopefully next year the festival doesn't conflict with other priorities so much, but historically, June has always been a busy month in my life, full of anniversaries, weddings, conventions, get-togethers, busy work schedules etc so, as usual, I'm not holding my breath. But that having been said, some of the best shows I've seen this year has been at this festival and I look forward to seeing what will be taking place next year.

NXNE 2009 Day 2 featuring Coeur de Pirate, One Hundred Dollars and The Deep Dark Woods

Thursday was by far my most active day of NXNE, with Friday showcasing only three bands. However once again, quality over quantity, as I settled myself down at the Dakota Tavern to see some authentic rootsy styled bands take over the authentic rootsy styled atmosphere that would accompany them.

Montreal's Coeur de Pirate (aka Béatrice Martin) was scheduled to hit the stage at 8pm which, in theory, means that my 7:30 show up time should have been significantly early enough to secure me a spot in the house. Well, the buzz cranked out by CBC Q's Jian Ghomeshi, as well as her recent nod from the Polaris people, must have been following her around quite closely as, to my surprise, the place had already reached capacity and there was a lineup waiting outside to get in. Thankfully the staff saw my priority badge, along with the badge of real photographer Ryan O'Shaughnessy, and we were let in as they told us that they were only allowed to let in three press spots and we were now two of them. I'm not sure that I totally believed them but whatever...we were in.

Coeur de Pirate is a cute, heavily tattooed, piano playing blonde who plays music that ranges from folksy to jazzy. Her emotive vocals are as endearingly warm as they come. Although her banter was all done in perfect English, she sung almost completely in French and there's something about a wispy French vocal that soothes me and sedates me. I don't speak nor understand French so I'm not really sure what she is talking about lyrically, but in between songs she would give us some clues as to the fact that her songs are laced in heartbreak and tales of lost loves. She's only 19 years old, so she's definitely got a "still learning about love and life" freshness about her, but this only adds to her unique sound. She ended the night with a cover of one of my most hated songs of all time, and as she started to describe what she was going to sing, I already had a feeling that the dreaded song was coming up since I had come across this clip of it earlier while checking out the Anika In London blog. Admittedly it's not my favourite piece in her repertoire, but the rest of her stellar set was more than enough to convince me that this isn't all that we're going to be hearing from this talented musician.

Photos: Coeur de Pirate @ Dakota Tavern on flickr
Myspace: Coeur de Pirate
Video: Comme Des Enfants on youtube

A lot has happened to One Hundred Dollars since I saw them last year, opening for Eric's Trip. At that time they were still relatively unknown, and their spectacular album Forest Of Tears still had yet to be released. Here we are a year later and the band is oozing with buzz, while the album has joined Coeur de Pirate on the Polaris long list. There are several bands who claim to do country music, but you would be hard pressed to find a band that performs it with the genuineness expressed by One Hundred Dollars. I don't know how they take on the role of world weary travelers so convincingly, and to be honest, I don't even know for sure that this is the dynamic that they're going for, but that's the way it comes across to me, and for such a young band to pull that off so successfully, is simply astonishing. The evening's highlight for me was their soul stirring rendition of a song called Black Gold, which I don't think they've released in any finished form as of yet, but when it's performed it'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. They also included a great cover of Kenny Rogers' Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town, while putting their own significant stamp on it, exemplified mostly by Simone Fornow's gravely voice.

Photos: One Hundred Dollars @ Dakota Tavern on flickr
Myspace: One Hundred Dollars
Video: Black Gold on youtube

That evening I stuck around for one more band from Saskatoon called The Deep Dark Woods. Interestingly I had never heard of them, even though they've already released three albums since 2006, and their sound is definitely within my usual genre tastes, that being of a rootsy alt-country nature. I thought that they performed a very solid set and while the songs themselves were not necessarily anything that I haven't heard before, they were very accomplished musicians who performed with confidence and ease. Ryan Boldt has a very laid back vocal style that contains an outlaw's tone, reminiscent of some of the grand troubadours of country music's past. The band was tight and versatile, while the harmonies where meticulous and emotive. The were well suited to the vibe of the evening, as well as the ambiance of the Dakota Tavern itself.

Photos: The Deep Dark Woods @ Dakota Tavern on flickr.
Myspace: The Deep Dark Woods
Video: Hang Me, Oh Hang Me on youtube

NXNE 2009 Day 1 featuring Spiral Beach, Amos The Transparent, The Love Machine, The Balconies, Pirate Love & Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

This year's NXNE festival was going to have to be more about quality than quantity. Here's the deal: I was out of town during the day which means that there is no way to catch any of the daytime shows. Also, since complete alertness was going to be required of me, I would also have to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Yes, this is the old man's version of the summer festival, but this only meant that being all random about my selections was not an option. I had to choose wisely within those specified boundaries. And, for the most part, I think that I did.

I began my day at Yonge and Dundas Square where the fact that the events to follow were clearly being presented by myspace became painfully obvious when the world's cheesiest MC took to the stage and proceeded to say some pretty embarrassing things. Besides playing the lame card with comments like, "we're so wild the police are going to have to shut us down tonight," he then proceeded to commit a major faux pas by comparing Spiral Beach to the Jonas Brothers. The crowd booed, the band gave each other the "what the?" look and the guy tried to save himself with some sort of "but these guys are way cooler" sort of comment. Anyway, you put that aside and the Beach once again reminded me as to why I love them so much.

It's strange but I never think of Spiral Beach as one of those spectacular bands that I must recommend to everybody, yet every time I see them, I leave in a state of complete elation. To simply refer to them as fun does not give them nearly enough credit. They portray themselves with this campy aire of mystery that makes every performance an odd slice of unforced theater, as much as it is just a great rock show. Guitarist Airick Woodhead was particularly amusing as he knocked over his microphone and accidentally unplugged his guitar and fell to the ground on several occasions in a way that was mildly rock star but mostly just hilariously clumsy. The band is hypnotic in the way that you can't take our eyes off of them, and their music is contagious in the way that you just gotta dance when you're there. This is my third time seeing them, but I just want to go out and see them again. Right now.

Photos: My shots of Spiral Beach @ Yonge & Dundas Square are on flickr
Myspace: Spiral Beach
Download: Made Of Stone mp3


I then headed up the street to Sunrise Records to see Amos The Transparent. I know, I know, there's so much going on in the city that the idea of seeing a band that I've seen a billion times this year already may seem a little bit stalker-ish, but the novelty of seeing them in a stripped down and controlled atmosphere was too intriguing to pass up. The fact is that the last few times that I saw them here in the city, they have put on such a powerhouse show that I couldn't imagine that they still had the ability to quiet down and show a little self control if the atmosphere required it. Well, this was an atmosphere that definitely required it since the place was small and the audience was even smaller. Still, their ultimate strength has always been in the songs themselves and they sounded absolutely beautiful. It was funny to watch them try to pull in the reigns at those moments when they would normally belt it out (such as the "figure it out! figure it out!" part of the song Stale Scent Of Old Beer), but overall the performance was all kinds of enjoyable.

Photos: My shots of Amos the Transparent @ Sunrise Records are on flickr.
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Download: Lemons (aka Big Fish, Little Pond) mp3


After that, I hopped on the Queen streetcar from hell towards The Drake Underground to catch part of the i (heart) music showcase. It was bad enough that the car was delayed by some sort of track and field type of situation, but we were unfortunately subjected to the whimsical nature of our driver, who started out kind of funny but was sort of irritating me by the end of the ride. The delays made me late for the first act on the bill.

The Love Machine are a band from Ottawa that served as the replacement for The Urban Aesthetics, who just broke up recently. I didn't know very much about them going in, but from what I sampled on their myspace page, they sounded like a solid mix of classic indie rock and radio friendly shout-along anthems. The three songs that I heard that night seemed to follow that pattern well and they did a good job at keeping the crowd in rapt attention from start to finish. The group also displayed a boundless amount of energy that kept their live show anchored in high intensity performances. Although their recorded material is really just a simple display of large choruses coupled with infectious power pop hookery, the band really does make their sense of energy work for them in concert, proving that, sometimes, gimmicks are really unnecessary when a band has the ability to let a simple melody do the talking.

Photos: My shots of The Love Machine @ Drake Underground are on flickr
Myspace: The Love Machine
Download: A Little Cursive In All Of Us mp3


The Balconies blew my mind when I saw them at The Horseshoe just a couple of months ago. This is why I was eager to see them again when they were back in town last week. They've got all of my favourite ingredients: really tight musicianship, a cuter than cute lead singer, a charismatic stage presence, and a sound influenced by elements of all of the great sounds of the past, including (but not limited to) 60's garage rock, 70's post punk and 80's new wave. I really appreciated that schizophrenic sense of variety that pervaded throughout their entire set. The band is not too shy to sandwich a highly atmospheric track inbetween a couple of in-yer-face rockers. The chemistry between Jacquie Neville's surf-jangle guitar style, Steve Neville's boundary stretching vocals and Liam Jaeger's calculated drumming has to be witnessed to be believed.

Photos: My shots of The Balconies @ Drake Underground are on flickr
Myspace: The Balconies
Download: Elephant Lamp mp3

Originally, I had considered just sticking around for the rest of the bill at The Drake since it was pretty amazing, but it was basically compiled of artists that play around the city all of the time and if I could only catch a select number of artists at this festival, than I really should see a few of the out of towners. Thankfully, the streetcars moving from The Drake to the El Mocambo were significantly better than the one that I sat on earlier, and I made it to my next show in record time.

Pirate Love is a band from Norway that was described in their bio as "a refreshing blend of garage, punk, rockabilly and goth" which basically could be alternately translated as "a sonic stew of everything Bob loves." OK, not a huge goth fan but still, I went into this one pretty sure that I would find something enjoyable about their sound. As they started off, I have to admit that I found their particular brand of arrogance to be a bit off-putting. I think a measure of tongue in cheek arrogance can be very entertaining at a rock show and I think most of my favourite artists display that well but when this is done without any sense of irony, it just makes a guy look like a tool. Well, lead vocalist David Al Dajani definitely seemed a bit too tool-like for my tastes as the first couple of songs wizzed by. However, there's an old saying that rock n' roll always wins in the end and each song on the bill just seemed to get better and better, to the point where I found myself really digging what they were doing. The vocals were shredding, while the guitar playing was raw and incendiary. There was also a primal quality to their sound that I couldn't help but surrender to and by the time their set was finished, their psychedelic assault had completely won me over. Good stuff indeed.

Photos: My shots of Pirate Love @ El Mocambo are on flickr.
Myspace: Pirate Love
Download: Laughing Gas mp3


After all is said and done, how could you possibly justify not seeing a band named Natalie Portman's Shaved Head? Many of my friends think that name is awesomely hilarious; I think it's ridiculously bad; but either way it is completely curiosity inducing and I just had to see what these guys are all about.

NPSH is from Seattle, which is an area that is usually synonymous with the grunge movement, but grunge this band is not. These guys specialize in a sweaty, funky electronic sound that is obviously designed to destroy your local dancefloor. According to their wikipedia page, Luke Smith and Shaun Libman formed the band to meet girls, and from what I could tell by the gaggle of young ladies staring longingly at the geeky kids on stage, mission accomplished. The band was all about energy and I can't remember the last time that I'd seen a band so energetic. I have seriously never witnessed the build up of sweat that was gushing from the pores of the eclectic creatures that were bounding across that stage. In fact, next to these guys, Spiral Beach was a silent movie. In other words, the band may lack the depth and originality of other similar bands, but if you just want to dance, party and be sweat upon, it would be hard to get any better than these guys.

I left after their set, but I'll bet that You Say Party, We Say Die and Green Go served as an excellent follow up to Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. I just hope that the kids kept themselves hydrated because I'm sure the sweat loss may have broken some records that night. If they compile records on that sort of thing. Which they probably don't.

Photos: My shots of Natalie Portman's Shaved Head are on flickr.
Myspace: Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
Download: Me and Yr Daughter mp3

Ohbijou @ Soundscapes (In Store Performance)

As rain poured upon the city and NXNE unfolded around me, me and my trusty umbrella strolled on down to the right up the street from my house location of Soundscapes to take in the bewildering Ohbijou as they performed songs from their latest Last Gang release Beacons. Shamefully, I have not yet listened to the album, but from what I hear, it's a delightful companion to their debut Swift Feet For Troubling Times; an album that was pretty dang near perfect, if you ask me. Although I can only go by what I heard on Wednesday night, I'd be willing to bet that the album is even more cherubic than it's predecessor, since the songs that they showcased in this intimate setting on that rainy night were filled with uplifting crescendos and all of the beautiful harmonies that you could expect from the sister team of Casey and Jennifer Mecija. The instrumentation was also of the gentle build, as each song progressed through a subtle start that would continue to build until the soaring melodies reached that perfectly executed apex.

This was possibly one of the more reserved crowds I've ever been a part of, but it all seemed to be a perfect fit with the rain outside and the ambiance of the store, combined with the tranquility of their music. Still, Casey commented on the uncomfortableness of it all on a couple of occasions, although never in a way that sounded condemnatory or sarcastic, but in a pleasantly comical way that was very endearing. She even invited us all over to their place for a barbecue before making some comment about how the faulty device may possibly blow us all up. Or something like that. Amyways, it was funny. Another humourous moment was when her cell phone alarm went off during the last song, as well as her after-comments as to why she would ever set her alarm for 7:25 in the evening. As you can tell, the whole atmosphere was that of a big happy family, and this made for an exceptional show that you can experience on a much grander level when Ohbijou plays The Opera House on Thursday June 25th. Tix are only $13 which is an awesome deal.

Photos: My shots of Ohbijou @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: Ohbijou
Download: Black Ice mp3


Tomorrow, I start in on my carefully planned yet heartily reserved NXNE experiences. Fun!

Passion Pit w/ Harlem Shakes & Cale Parks @ Lee's Palace

Last week was a busy week, both in terms of music and non-music related activities. I do have a few NXNE related reviews to post but before I go there, I've still got a couple of other shows to tell you about, beginning with the one that I caught at Lee's Palace last Tuesday night; a show that definitely falls into the long-awaited category.

Passion Pit had to bail on their last two Toronto dates, making this show at Lee's not only highly anticipatory, but actually the hottest ticket in town. This fact was compounded by the further fact that their stock has been rising quickly. Their first full length Manners was released only last month, yet the band sold out Lee's quite fast and they're already slated to return to Toronto again in August, this time performing at the bigger-by-about-550-people-venue, the Phoenix. That made this one about as intimate as we're gonna get with these guys for now, so the fans were very eager to just soak it all in.


Starting the night off was Cale Parks, a multi-faceted drummer and vibraphonist from Brooklyn. I showed up in time to catch only his last couple of songs, but even that brief amount of intake was enough to see that, as a drummer, this guy oozes talent. It was incredible to watch his drumming hands move at a speed that may as well have been the speed of light, since it was still faster than my tiny sense of perception could comprehend. However, this was not a wankerific set long drum solo, since the musical accompaniment of his laptop was steeped in the sounds of pure electro pop, not all that dissimilar to pioneers of the genre, such as Depeche Mode or New Order.

Following the percussive onslaught of Cale, was the predictable indie rock that was the Harlem Shakes. If there was ever proof that I've seen way too many bands as of late and am starting to develop into an overly jaded live music guy, I think this band is it. Judging by audience reaction, it looks like the Shakes have developed a pretty solid fan base of their own, and upon hearing their music that night, it was easy enough to see why. It was quite hooky and accessible, easy to jump around to, and generally inoffensive. However, as soon as the first song started up, I pretty much figured out what they were all about, and the lack of surprise just made me a tad disinterested. Other reviewers have name dropped Vampire Weekend when describing these guys, and I think that's a pretty decent starting point. If you like VW, then you'll probably dig these guys too. Overall they're not what I would call a bad band by any means and they've certainly got the performance aspect down. It's just that the music itself seems to be somewhat devoid of original thoughts and ideas. They name dropped Ruby Coast a few times during the night, which is good because if those bands are somewhat tight with each other, than maybe the Rubies could toss a few ideas their way as to how to throw in a tempo change or a dose of mild interestingness while still maintaining that indie rock sensibility. Just a suggestion...

Which brings us to Passion Pit. The band opened with, what I believe was an unreleased song. The lack of familiarity obviously meant nil to the patient fans since they were dancing spasmodically right from beat one. The crowds' rampant Pit-love must have been kept hidden for a long time since their enthusiasm was more than apparent. For the first few songs I was right up front in the midst of all of the euphoria, and from that vantage point, this was turning out to be quite the historical concert. The band sounded great, the music was all kinds of infectious, and everyone was having a blasty blast. The second song was Make Light, and it was hard not to get positively giddy at the sound of Angelakos' crazy falsetto. The highlight for me was the impossibly dancey Little Secrets, whereupon we all had our hands in the air during the "higher and higher and higher" part. After about four songs or so however, I shimmied my way out of the crowd and got a better look from a little further back and that was when the imperfections shone through more clearly. The band was actually quite stoic on the stage, which is unusual for a band that encourages so much movement. Also, the show was virtually banter free, which actually resulted in a couple of uncomfortable silences. Finally, the aforementioned falsetto was off quite a bit, which I wasn't expecting. Still, all of these shortcomings clearly went unnoticed for most of those in attendance, which means that the end result was still that of a good time had by all. Obviously the big hit (Sleepyhead) was another highlight, as was the one song encore of The Reeling. The show was brief, clocking in at about 40 minutes or so, which may have rubbed some people the wrong way, since they have been waiting for this show for so long. As for me, going to bed before twelve is always a good thing. and this show left me adequately satisfied.

My Photos: Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes and Cale Parks @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Myspace: Passion Pit
Myspace: Harlem Shakes
Myspace: Cale Parks
Video: Someone actually posted the whole concert on youtube. Watch it here.

'Sup for NXNE: A Preview

Hey, it's NXNE time again here in Toronto, and as usual, the number of bands to see, movies to watch and things to do is overwhelming. Thanks to the fact that I'm a man who has many other priorities in my life, scheduling conflicts are going to prevent me from having as huge a share in this years festivities as I have in the past. This means that my days are taken up with other things, and my nights simply cannot go on all night. That being the case, I have been making sure that I choose very carefully as to what I wish to take in. However, conflicts abound as always, so I've decided to give you a personal five picks for each day, (of the shows that I likely WON'T be attending), and then a brief summary of where I'm going to be. For a full schedule, you can go to the official NXNE website.

Wednesday June 17th.

This is a weird one since the NXNE site claims that events start on Wednesday, but the schedule calendar only starts on Thursday. Still, if you snoop around enough, you can still find a number of NXNE events taking place around the city on that day.

What I Recommend:
1. Vitamins For You @ The Wrongbar (8:30-ish)
2. The D'Urbervilles @ The Drake (10:30pm)
3. Apostle Of Hustle @ The Courthouse (11pm)
4. Gentlemen Husbands @ The Horseshoe (11:40pm)
5. Woodhands @ The Drake (12:30am)

In connection with the Apostle Of Hustle show, you may wish to just plant yourself at The Courthouse (57 Adelaide East) for the evening as it hosts day one of an Arts and Crafts showcase, featuring Jason Collett, Years, Charles Spearin's Happiness Project and a special guest (likely some part of the BSS family)

Where I'll Be:
The only event I think I'll be taking in on Wednesday is that of seeing Ohbijou play an instore performance at Soundscapes (7pm). I haven't seen them for a while, and I don't think I'm going to be able to make it to their show at The Opera House on June 25th, so this is going to be great. I'd get there early though since there's a good chance that it'll be a little on the packed side of things.

Thursday June 18th

What I Recommend:
1. Green Go @ El Mocambo (down) (1am)
2. Rob Szabo @ The Painted Lady (11pm)
3. The Vibrants @ El Mocambo (up) (11pm)
4. Whale Tooth @ The Boat (10pm)
5. Jim Cuddy, Royal Wood and Oh Susanna @ Lee's Palace (9pm)

Earlier in the day, Sunrise Records is hosting a slew of instore performances beginning at 5pm with Dinosaur Bones, followed by The Coast (6pm) and Amos The Transparent (7pm). There's also day 2 of the Arts & Crafts thing at The Courthouse with Zeus (9pm), Timber Timbre (10pm), Still Life Still (11pm) and The Most Serene Republic (12am) to be followed by special guests. Another big one is at Yonge-Dundas Square with a lineup featuring Spiral Beach (6pm), Xavier Cafeine (7pm), Melissa Auf Der Maur (8pm), Burning Brides (9pm) and Black Lips (10pm)

Where I'll Be:
I may actually try to catch the Spiral Beach show and the Amos instore before hanging out at The Drake Underground for the evening in support of Matthew Pollesel's i (heart) music showcase featuring The Love Machine (8pm), The Balconies (9pm), Oh No Forest Fires (10pm), Black Hat Brigade (11pm) and Amos The Transparent (12am).

Friday June 19th

What I Recommend:
1. Bobby Conn & Monica Bou Bou @ Lee's Palace (9pm)
2. The Sadies @ El Mocambo (down) (1am)
3. Andrea Wasse @ Cadillac Lounge (9pm)
4. Matt & Kim @ Whippersnapper (8pm) & @ Wrongbar (1am)
5. Black Diamond Bay @ The Horseshoe (1am)

Another sweet lineup is the Nevado Records Showcase @ The Supermarket featuring Parlovr (9pm), Bahamas (10pm), Bass Lions (11pm), The Paint Movement (12am) and Fox Jaws (1am). You may also wish to hang out at Yonge-Dundas Square to see In-Flight Safety (7:45pm), The Cliks (8:45pm) and Wintersleep (9:45pm) which are three bands that have to be seen live to truly appreciate. Albums= good but live show=amazing!

Where I'll Be:
For reasons of convenience, as much as sheer talent, I'm going to be just up the street from my place at the Dakota Tavern to check out a pretty stellar lineup that begins with the sultry sweetness that is Montreal's Coeur de Pirate (8pm). She's followed by my favourite alt-country act of the moment, our own One Hundred Dollars (9pm), whom I've only seen once, and it was quite a while ago. Up next is The Deep Dark Woods (10pm) from Saskatoon. I don't really know them very well, but they are also of the alt-country genre and from what I've heard, they're right up my alley. I'll then stick around to see Hooded Fang (11pm), who never let me down. Then, like the old man that I am, I'll likely be heading out after their set, but the rest of the evening doesn't look too shabby either with The Coast (12am), Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few (1am), Chris Velan (2am) and The Beauties (3am) to end things off.

Saturday June 20th

What I Recommend:
1. Holler, Wild Rose @ The Phoenix (6:30pm) ***Highly Recommended
2. The Hoa Hoa's @ Silver Dollar (3am)
3. Olenka and the Autumn Lovers @ Bread And Circus (11pm)
4. Entire Cities @ Mitzi's Sister (1am)
5. Megan Hamilton and the Volunteer Canola @ Bread And Circus (9pm)

Earlier in the day, Aux TV is a special NXNE Special Session featuring Holler, Wild Rose, The Paint Movement and Josh Reichman. It's being held at the Audio Recording Academy (554 Queen St E) at everything starts at 3:30pm. If you're looking to stay at one place for the evening, Sirius & CBC Radio 3 present a stellar lineup at The Horseshoe featuring Woodpigeon (9pm), DD/MM/YY (10pm), Ruby Coast (11pm), Jason Collett (12am), Hot Panda (1am) and The Lovely Feathers (2am).

Where I'll Be:
I will be very surprised it I get to accomplish very much on Saturday night, but what I do do (hehe) is going to be heavily influenced by my love for psych rock. If I'm back in time to see The Disraelis (8pm) at Velvet Underground then by gum, that's what I'm gonna do. I may stick around to catch a song or two by The Job (9pm) before heading down to Yonge-Dundas Square to see the very very very legendary Sonics (9:30pm)!!!! Afterwards I might duck out just a smidge early to go back to Velvet Underground to see The Zoobombs (11pm) from Tokyo, Japan before turning in for the evening. (The Sonics are pictured above.)

Sunday June 21st

Things pretty much wind down by Sunday night, but the weekly Wavelength series at Sneaky Dee's is still making itself available to the first 20 passes or wristband holders. On the bill is Labasheeda (9pm) from the Netherlands, Innes Wilson and his Opposition (10pm), Wax Mannequin (11pm) and La Casa Muerte (12am). For those without passes, entrance is PWYC.

Where I'll Be:
I reckon I'll be pretty beat by the time Sunday rolls around but if I decide to go out, then I'll probably swing by Rancho Relaxo to check out Mardeen (9pm), to be followed by Brent Randall and his Pinecones (10pm) and Dan Griffin and the Regrets (11pm).

Slakah The Beatchild @ Revival

If you've ever frequented this site, then you know that I'm not overly picky when it comes to indie rock. Sure, there are artists that I like better than others, and mediocrity runs rampant at times, but I can usually find something good in most of the bands I cover around the city. When it comes to soul, R&B and hip hop however, I'm a totally different creature altogether. I don't cover this genre all that often here, but it's not because I don't like it. It's because my tastes are very specific when it comes to da funk. Stevie's Innervisions, Dusty's In Memphis and the mighty mighty Marvin's What's Going On are a few of my favourite albums of all time, but when it comes to the modern day, it really does take a lot to garner my attention. Artists like Oh No, Madlib and Shad K have restored my faith in hip hop, and I do enjoy doses of Raphael Saadiq and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings as well, but most of my soulful exposure comes from what the kids are listening to these days and I hate to sound like a crusty old curmudgeon, but I just don't get most of it.

This is why an artist like Slakah The Beatchild is so refreshing to me. His new release is entitled Soul Movement Vol. 1, and the title is very appropriate since that is exactly what it is: a movement. The album flows seamlessly from track to track, meaning that it's most enjoyable when played as a whole. Although there are hooky songs and several catchy moments, the album is mostly about establishing a vibe, and it's the instrumental snippets and segues of beats and atmospheres that are interspersed between the songs that make it such a successful musical journey. Slaks continued to keep the vibe front and center when he brought his CD release party to Revival last week.

Like the album, Slakah enlisted the help of some of his friends for the show, including the beautiful voices of Ayah, Melanie Durrant and Divine Brown, as well as the soulful stylings of Ray Robinson and the charismatic rap of Tona, and Slakah's Art Of Fresh counterpart D.O. (Sadly, there was no Shad K. as I was anticipating, but it's all good, although his rhymes on the song Now A Daze is definitely one of the album's highlights.) Slakah is an excellent performer, exuding a sweet balance between humility and confident showmanship. After a hilarious intro by comedian Jay Martin, Slakah took to the stage wearing shades and looking like a star. Some of the highlights were his slightly slowed down take on Enjoy Ya Self which is a chilled out number with a retro 70's vibe. The Answer is a song that I only mildly enjoy on the album, but this duet with Melanie Durrant works exceptionally well on the live stage as Durrant proves that her amazing pipes are not simply a result of studio wizardry. He asked the audience to clear some space on the floor during his rabid performance of B-Boy Beef, where a member of the Ground Illusionz crew busted out some stellar breakdance moves. Crate Love (By Your Side) was another solid performance featuring Ray Robinson (dang that voice is smooth) and Divine Brown, whose vocals were beyond impressive, particularly during the breakdown at the song's coda. Divine also performed her hit single Sunglasses, which was also produced by Slakah, whom she declared as "Canada's best kept secret." That performance was probably the audience highlight of the evening. My personal highlights were the moments when D.O. joined Slakah onstage. Their performance of the Art of Fresh's Out This World was electric, and that D.O. is one charismatic and hilarious performer who I found impossible to keep my eyes off of.

Although it was clear that the audience was pumped for an encore, they were relatively reserved when it came to showing it. I suppose this is why Esthero took it upon herself to jump up to the mic and blast us all for our lack of appreciation. Harsh yes, but entertaining nonetheless. The crew came back out and did a couple more songs, ending with What's This Feeling, stripped down with Slakah playing the acoustic guitar. Mesmerizing.

There's a lot to be said for broadening one's horizons. Much like when I took a chance on seeing God Made Me Funky last year, it was hard not to leave the show in a celebratory mood. Regardless of genre, music is always good when it's presented with honesty and accompanied by sheer talent and a desire to explore. Using that criteria, Slakah The Beatchild is as good as it gets.

Memoirs of Anesha also has a review of the show here.

Photos: My shots of Slakah The Beatchild @ Revival are on flickr.
Myspace: Slakah The Beatchild
Video: Enjoy Ya Self on youtube
Video: What's This Feeling on youtube
Video: Out This World on youtube

Pick A Piper w/Hut & The Fishwives @ Rancho Relaxo

I apologize for the lack of postings but my motivation level has been somewhat minimal lately. I think that it's likely one of those inner head things where I am already anticipating how busy the tail end of the month is going to be, and this internal preparation of sorts has made me tired before I've even done anything. In other words, don't take it personal; it's not you, it's me. Still, I work hard to post about every show that I attend, and although we're a full eleven days into the month of June, there was still one more show in May that I have yet to tell you about. What makes my tardiness twice as inexcusable is the fact that this show was so good.

After shamelessly neglecting my friends at Zygiella seven times before, it was great to finally make it out to this eighth installment of the Zygiella series. This time around it was being held at Rancho Relaxo as part of the Pitter Patter Festival and it featured three bands that I really knew very little about. The first act on the bill was a last minute replacement for Huddle, (who had to back out due to a band member injury) known as The Fishwives.

The Fishwives are a local four piece who specialize in a hooky brand of 60's tinged power pop that should easily appeal to anyone who likes their rock 'n roll a little bit wacky. It's become apparent that, although the kids in the band have obviously taken in the art of contemporaries like The Shins and The Coral, they have likely spent a great deal of time digesting their parents music collection also. This is a good thing since their music shows a sense of openness that you wouldn't normally hear in a band so young. In fact, although these guys were not even old enough to drink that night, they played original songs that were witty, adventurous and surprisingly mature. If I can make a bit of a bold statement here: I believe that, given the right direction, The Fishwives have the ability to shine in ways that too many of their contemporaries do not. A big problem with some bands right now is that they seem to find their niche, and then settle there with total disregard to the possibility of exploration. This band, although still in an understandably amateurish stage, have already begun to dabble in different areas, which gives them an eclecticism that should only grow with time. I was impressed.

Photos: The Fishwives @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: The Fishwives

From a band gaining experience to a band with plenty, Hut were on next. The band is the mastermind of Daniel Lee whom I've seen a couple of times in one of his other bands: Hooded Fang. While both of these acts display a measure of pure pop sensibility, the comparisons really do stop there. The Fang have a very polished pop sound that solidifies more and more every time that I see them, while Hut tackles this territory with a frantic lo-fi approach. I realize that choosing one style over the other is really a matter of preference, but to these ears, nothing can compare to the dirty realism of Hut's guttural styling. They wasted no time blasting from one post-punk gem to the other, keeping the vibe free from lag and showcasing a sound that had all of the elements of a mutant spawn of Bradford Cox and Tom Verlaine. They closed with an amazing song called Doom, which I can't stop listening to on their myspace page. It's fantastic, and the reason for this is the fact that the song has such an infectious hook that lends itself to overproduced stadium sounds, but avoids succumbing to that, keeping things deliciously lo-fi and original. On top of that, the lyric "gravity has lost its charm" is probably my favourite lyric of the year so far. Hut keeps their endearing roughness in tact when they perform live and I'll definitely be checking them out again.

Photos: Hut @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Hut

Pick a Piper have received a lot of local love as of late, and Hut had left me pleasantly pumped for what was to follow. Thankfully Pick A Piper took that intensity and cranked it up considerably for their outstanding closing set. As they were setting up, it became obvious that this was going to be a percussive assault of sorts. They had a two drummer set up going on, and plenty other instrumental implements of destruction onstage making me very happy that I remembered my ear protection (for once.) The band consists of Clint Scrivener, Dan Roberts, Angus Fraser and Brad Weber. Brad has spent time as the touring drummer for Caribou, and it's obvious that he's brought that experience with him to this particular outfit. On record, vocal precision and soaring melodies are certainly the order of the day, but when you go to see them live, it's good to expect something a little bit more intense. Although the sound at Rancho was a little bit more muddled that their music would require, the attack of heavy percussion was still very much in tact and as you looked around the room, the tribal beats were clearly having an effect on the heads of all in attendance. It was impossible to stand still as the band played one locomotive blast of freak-psych after another. It also became apparent that the band was working hard for our enjoyment because, although the crowd begged for an encore, the sweat stained bodies of the collective Pipers were just too exhausted to go any further. After all, it's a tough job creating a heady climax of euphoria and everything.

Photos: Pick a Piper @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Pick A Piper

CONTEST: Passion Pit Ticket Giveaway!!

REVIEW OF PASSION PIT - MANNERS

Incredibly high falsetto-ed singing voices can't help but be sort of funny. That's just the way it is. Therefore, the major full length release by buzz band Passion Pit, which is entitled Manners, is going to make you smile, whether you like it or not. I suppose I could understand why some people might not like it. It is overly schmaltzy in parts, the ballads seem to occupy the same black hole that may have sucked in the likes of Howard Jones or The Motels, and if you don't like the 80's, well, then you may not even want to go here. But I'll be danged if it isn't just the most endearingly catchy album I've heard in ages.

Album opener Make Light is one of my faves, exploding right from the get- go, yet still managing to intensify as it carries on. Just when you think Michael Angelakos' voice couldn't get any higher, he continues to tighten his belt until the chorus comes along and intoxicates in an incredible glass shattering sort of way. Little Secrets is track two and it is probably the most infectious song on the album. A hyper amalgamation of disco and Jackson 5-ish soul, this should be this year's Time To Pretend. Even the children's singalong chorus doesn't irritate me the way that it should. Quite the contrary, it suits the song well and I think that I actually like it better than MGMT's anthem of last year. By the time we get to the first single from the album, track 4 The Reeling, it becomes obvious that Passion Pit are more than just a solid pop band. The hooks in these songs, coupled with Angelakos' introspective lyrics mean that these songs are not simply contagious pop songs that wear out their welcome upon repeat listening. No, these songs deserve to be delved into in a deeper fashion, once you've stopped dancing, of course. Take for example, a song like Eyes As Candles, which contains a singalong chorus composed of na-na's and hey-hey's, while still including inner directed moments, such as "I feel you rise above me the western landscape's towering, and from my shell of a body the flowers blossom for picking." Yes, in amongst the bubblegum hooks are some tortured lyrics that help to offset the whole package nicely.

Although Manners overall only shows a mild step up from the electro pop style of last year's Chunk Of Change EP, it certainly hints at the possiblity that while Angelakos is happy to play it relatively safe for now, he does have a lot of interesting ideas in his brain. I wouldn't be surprised if each successive album showcases a little bit more invention than the one before. For now though, he's undoubtedly satisfied to simply have us soaking in that crazy voice of his.

Above photo is by Elizabeth Weinberg
Myspace: Passion Pit
Video: Sleepyhead on youtube
Video: The Reeling on youtube

CONTEST: After a couple of failed attempts at coming to Toronto, Passion Pit are finally going to be playing Lee's Palace on Tuesday June 16th. Thanks to Sony Music Canada, I've got two tickets to give away to this show. If you're interested, please send off an email to quadb2001 [at] gmail [dot] com with the words "I Wanna Be In The Passion Pit" in the subject line, and your full name in the body.

Contest is now closed. Congrats to Alicia E. and thanks to all who entered.

'Sup In June

As you've likely noticed by now, the monthly "Sup In ..." post has become less of a list of what I'm doing, and more of a list of what I would do if I were you. The shows that I plan to attend tend not to see the light of day more often than not, and it seems that each month showcases a show or two that I end up going to as more of a spur of a moment type of thing. June is going to be busy with this year's NXNE festival in full force which I'm obviously participating in although, due to other conflicting priorities, my involvement this year will be significantly more reserved than in year's past. Anyways, enough of my jibber jabber and on to the month's events:

To start with, I'd like to tell you about the Aux TV Secret Sessions Series taking place every Saturday during the months of June and July. It all happens at The Audio Recording Academy (554 Queen Street East), it's all ages, it usually starts at 5pm and it's free. To get in, all you have to do is RSVP to rsvp@secretsessionstara.com with the show you wish to attend, your name and the number of guests. Some of the performers for the month of June include The Ghost Is Dancing, Great Bloomers, Holler! Wild Rose, The Paint Movement, Josh Reichmann and Oh No Forest Fires. For more info, go to the website. [Myspace: Secret Sessions Tara]

In support of their critically acclaimed Veckatimest album, Grizzly Bear are in town on Friday June 6th playing The Phoenix. Tix are $18, although I think it might be sold out. [Myspace: Grizzly Bear]

Ma homeboy (I'll never be able to pull that off, will I?) Slakah The Beatchild is having a CD release party at The Revival on Thursday June 11th in support of his excellent new release entitled Soul Movement Pt 1. Looks like it's going to be quite the bill for any fans of hip hop ad R&B, with guests including Divine Brown, Melanie Durant, Ebrahim and Shad K, amongst others. Details for the event can be found here. [Myspace: Slakah The Beatchild]

One Hundred Dollars are playing The Horseshoe on Friday June 12th. They are by far the best country band in the city. Tix are $8. [Myspace: One Hundred Dollars]

Alt-Country giant Alejandro Escovedo is back and playing Trinity St. Paul's on Tuesday June 16th for $27. [Myspace: Alejandro Escovedo]

Also on Tuesday June 16th, Passion Pit are making an attempt to return to our city by playing Lee's Palace. They've already failed twice before so hopefully we get to see this one make it's way to fruition. I've noticed that the tickets are sold out at some of the local points of sale, so keep your eyes on this blog as I may have a couple of spots to giveaway in the very near future. $12. [Myspace: Passion Pit]

Which of course brings us to this year's NXNE festival, taking place June 17th - 21st. I think I'm going to do a more detailed posting for this as we get closer to the date, but you can already get started on your personal picks by perusing the schedule over here. Admittedly I haven't got it all figured out just yet, but one band that I certinaly will NOT be missing is legendary 60's Seattle rockers The Sonics, who will be at Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday June 20th at 9:30. It looks like I'm sort of leaning towards checking out more of the 'out of towners' on the schedule, as opposed to the 'will always be heres' on the schedule, but more on that later. [Myspace: The Sonics]

One thing that I will mention, is that Daps All Ages and No Shame are going to be presenting an all ages afternoon show at Rolly's Garage on Saturday June 20th, from 1pm to 6pm. On the bill are Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, Lightmares, Laura Barrett, Swirling Shores, Times Neue Roman and Pick A Piper (who I just saw last weekend and I gotta tell you, whew! More on that later.) Tix are $10.

The excellent double bill of Jonathan Richmond and Vic Chesnutt are playing the Great Hall on Thursday June 25th for only $20. [Myspaces: Jonathan Richmond; Vic Chesnutt]

Also, on Thursday June 25th, you may wish to check out the always amazing Ohbijou with Great Bloomers and Evening Hymns at The Opera House. Tix are only $13. [Myspace: Ohbijou; Great Bloomers, Evening Hyms]

I have the opportunity to broaden my horizons by attending a day of The 26th Annual Tottenham Bluegrass Festival which takes place June 26th, 27th, and 28th at the Tottenham Observation Area. I cover artists that borrow from the bluegrass genre all the time, but I anticipate that it's going to be downright inspiring to spend an afternoon sitting in the sun taking in some old school meat and potatoes type of classic bluegrass tunes. Some of the artists are a little bit rootsier than I'm accustomed to, but I am looking forward to seeing a set by Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass. Another band that intrigues me is called The Dixie Flyers, who actually have some pretty impressive Canadian bluegrassers playing amongst them. (I've also heard that I've got to try a deep fried Mars Bar at least once in my life.) Schedule and other info can be found at the website. [Myspaces: Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass; Dixie Flyers]

The return of the always delightful Camera Obscura takes place at Lee's Palace on Saturday June 27th. I am madly in love with their latest My Maudlin Career. Tix are $23.50. [Myspace: Camera Obscura]

There's quite a number of legends coming through town in June, one of such is Todd Rundgren, who is playing The Mod Club (!) on Sunday June 28th. Tickets are $49.50. [Myspace: Todd Rundgren]

Tuesday June 30th is a busy day here in the city as New York's legendary glam-rockers the New York Dolls are in town playing Lee's Palace. The tickets are $29.50 and legends of this magnitude do not come around all that often so you really have no excuse for not attending. Actually there is one excuse, that is, if you're planning on seeing... [Myspace: New York Dolls]

...SONIC YOUTH!!!! To say that I'm excited about this show is hardly a strong enough phrase to convey the level of excitement going through my body right now. I once stated that Sonic Youth (pictured above) were basically the best band in the world, and I don't think that my statement is all that far off. They are legends having inspired almost every band that I've loved since and I think this is going to be one epic performance. They are playing Massey Hall on Tuesday June 30th and tickets are $48.50 and worth every penny! [Myspace: Sonic Youth]

Dog Day @ Soundscapes (In Store Performance)

I have to say that I was very happy to hear that Dog Day had added this instore performance to their list of things to do when they came to Toronto last week. It was looking ever more likely that I was not going to be able to attend the show at Lee's Palace on Thursday night, so this was definitely an unexpected treat. Also unexpected was the fact that they put on a fairly charged performance.

Oddly enough, there are people out there who just seem happier being sad. I've never understood it myself, but I know a handful of people who would fall into that category. Upon seeing Dog Day's brief performance at Soundscapes last Wednesday night, I think that the members of that band may also be members of that little group.

It's not that their latest CD Concentration (which I reviewed here) is all that depressing actually, but it certainly has a darker feel to it than previous releases. If you add that reality to the fact that they've never been known to perform with the enthusiasm that their music might suggest, than I guess I was looking forward to this show based simply on the fact that I really like the music a lot, while not expecting anything overly grand in terms of performance. Also, this was not on a stage, but in a tiny record store. So as they continued to show an ever mounting zealous fervor with every subsequent track that they performed, it became obvious that they must be pretty pumped about the songs on this new record.

This is not to suggest that the band has become Spinal Tap or anything. Their endearing shyness was still there, most notable in the presence of keyboardist Crystal Thili who really didn't look up from her keyboard very much, other than to snap a few shots of the audience with her little point and shoot. Even Nancy Urich's attempts at banter were quite reserved, almost as if they were intended solely for the band's own personal enjoyment. (If you listened closely though, she was actually very funny.) But it was while they were playing the songs that the band really shone, culminating in a guitar sword fight of sorts during the final song, creating a wall of noise that their heroes would likely have appreciated immensely. Speaking of which, it was really cool to see one of those heroes, namely Julie Doiron of Eric's Trip, sitting on the floor taking it all in herself, no doubt swelling with pride at how far this band has come. If the show was any indication, the show at Lee's Palace was no doubt terrific. Wish I was there.

Photos: Dog Day @ Soundscapes on flickr.
Myspace: Dog Day
Video: You Won't See Me On Sunday(in 3-D) on youtube
Video: Happiness on youtube

Lovely Killbots, Whale Tooth, Make Your Exit and Amos The Transparent @ The Horseshoe

The last time that I experienced a Whale Tooth / Amos combo, the result was a show that was way too irresistible for words. So to say that I was looking forward to last week's show at The Horseshoe was an understatement to say the least. And of course, the show did not disappoint.

Getting things started off nicely was a little duo called The Lovely Killbots. Besides having a name that is all kinds of way cool, the sound coming out of this tiny band was rather astonishing. The band is comprised of Lauralee on piano and vocals, and Ryan on the drums. While the setup would suggest a simple and rudimentary sound, the fact is that this duo is anything but. Individually, each member is incredibly talented at their respective instruments, and when you add to that several levels of imagination and originality, you're met with a force that is really quite impressive. They specialize in a very dramatic style of indie pop that blends nicely with some jazzy overtones and slight leanings to cabaret pop.

The Lovely Killbots are playing NXNE at Rancho Relaxo on June 20th.
Photos: The Lovely Killbots at The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: The Lovely Killbots

The performance put on by Whale Tooth was an absolute triumph. I really enjoyed the last time that I saw them, but this time around they catapulted themselves into my top ten local bands for sure. Elise LeGrow is an amazing frontwoman, exuding all of the style, charisma and a good clean sense of fun that makes her impossible to ignore when she's bopping around on that stage. The fact that her sultry vocal croon is currently unmatched within this genre of dancey feel good pop music means that their performances are always going to be unique enough to stand out from the crowd. Guitarist and vocalist Norm Maschke proved himself, once again, to be the perfect accompaniment for Elise and the band played with vigorous enthusiasm. If you get the chance to check them out when they play NXNE this year, they come highly recommended.

Whale Tooth are playing NXNE at The Boat on June 18th.
Photos: Whale Tooth at The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Whale Tooth

The fact that this was most likely a very well thought out bill became ever more apparent once Make Your Exit hit the stage, simply because their performance convinced me that this evening was showcasing some of the best acts that the local scene has to offer. I've heard a bit of the local buzz surrounding the band, but have not personally taken the time to examine their music as I should. It's very hard to keep up, y'know? Still, Make Your Exit wowed me from the get-go, as they showcased a sound that was not unlike the many collective type bands that our country has grown synonymous with. They actually reminded me quite a bit of one of my other current local faves, namely The Paint Movement. Both bands are very celebratory in feel, as they try to straddle that fine line between jammy-ness and over blown pretentiousness. Thankfully, neither band cross over that line, and Make Your Exit are an example of art-mospheric jazz tinged brass rock culminating in a soaring climax that is hard to follow.

Make Your Exit are playing an NXNE Showcase at Clinton's on June 19th.
Photos: Make Your Exit @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Make Your Exit

To be honest, it's getting harder to think of new things to say about Amos The Transparent. The fact that this is my 4th time seeing them this year should tell you that I like them a little bit. And the fact that they trek down to our city so often all the way from Ottawa, is evidence of the fact that they love coming to Toronto. And with the reception that they've been receiving lately, who can blame them? After the rambunctious shouts of applause that accompanied set opener Lemons, frontman Jonathan Chandler stated with a hearty guffaw, "We're not in Ottawa anymore!" While I've got to believe that his claim of our capital's lack of enthusiasm for AoT has got to be exaggerated a bit (especially since I know personally of at least one Ottawan that sings the praises of Amos regularly), it really does show that Toronto's love for this great band is worthy of mention. As usual, the audience sang enthusiastically to almost every song that was played, and understandably, the band fed off of that zeal nicely. I'm looking forward to checking them out yet again, hopefully at this year's NXNE: i (heart) music showcase at The Drake on June 18th.

Photos: Amos The Transparent @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Amos The Transparent

"To Live By The Sea And Never Leave"

Music News, Local News, Indie News, Et Cetera....

Having grown bored with processing the photos I took at a show I attended on Friday night, I figured that I would take a break by visiting this here blog. No reviews or opinionated rants today, just a random whack of music related news that may or may not interest you depending on what type of stuff interests you these days:

I didn't participate in this weekend's Over The Top Festival, mainly because I found myself dealing with a tiredness that seemed to run dangerously close to the chronic fatigue variety. Hopefully, I will be able to have a share in, at least a little bit, of next weekend's Pitter Patter Fest, which is taking place at various venues in and out of the city. I've already talked a bit about it before, but I've recently come across another show that seems to be peaking my interest significantly.

Zygiella VIII is taking place at Rancho Relaxo on Friday night (May 29th). I love to support Zygiella, yet I'm an idiot since I've still never actually attended any of their showcases. The lineup this time around conisists of three bands that I'm not really all that familiar with, yet having sampled the music on their myspaces, I'm pretty sure that I'll have to set aside my previous Friday night plans and check this one out. The bands are Pick A Piper (pictured above), Huddle and Hut and if you like your shows eclectic, than this one is a must see.
[Above photo taken by K. Downey]

Dog Day are playing on Thursday night at Lee's Palace and my ticket giveaway contest is still running for another day or so. In the meantime however, you may wish to check them out when they play a free instore at Soundscapes on Wednesday May 27th at 6pm. [Myspace: Dog Day]

Fox Jaws are just about to embark on their East Coast tour but before they leave, they'll be playing a PWYC show at The Supermarket on Wednesday night. [Myspace: Fox Jaws]

The Vancouver Documentary Film Festival (DOXA) is taking place as we speak and will be continuing on all week but the reason that I'm tallking about it here is because they've got an interesting fundraiser taking place in connection with the fest. A number of disposable cameras were distibuted to different celebrities - the idea being that they would shoot them off and then auction them on eBay. Amongst the participants are Great Lake Swimmers, The Weakerthans, Jason Collett, Torquill Campbell, George Stroumboulopoulis and Narwuar the Human Serviette, as well as many many others. To see how you can get involved, check out all of the information here.

And I'm sorry to finish off on a sad note, but I just got word that former Wilco guitarist and songwriter Jay Bennett has passed away this weekend. He was a major contributor to the Wilco sound during, what I feel, was their best period of output. Very sad news indeed. He was 45.

The National @ Kool Haus

Although The National have been reportedly hard at work on their follow up to 2007's critically acclaimed Boxer, I suppose they felt that there was no harm in using their summer to ride the wave of success that this excellent album has provided for them. That tour kicked off on Thursday night, here in Toronto. Pretty much every time that they had come here in the past I have been unable to attend, which is unfortunate because each visit showcases them at a bigger venue than the one before. I did catch their opening set for R.E.M. at Molson Amphitheatre and I thought it was downright euphoric, to say the least. Needless to say, that show only made me swell with increased anticipation at the chance to see the band return to a more intimate venue the next time around. Unfortunately my eagerness was tempered significantly when I got the word that the show was going to be at the Kool Haus on a Thursday night. This meant that I was going to be late, and that the sound was going to be bad.

As predicted, the sound was bad. In fact, it was amongst the worst I've ever heard, but I'll tuck Mr. Negative away and try not to dwell on that too much. On the plus side, I still managed to arrive before they started (and from what I've heard, missing opener Colin Stetson was not a great loss) and I even managed to find a decent enough spot where I could see what was going on relatively clearly. Also, I could hear that the place was filled a large number of ignorant chatterboxes, but from where I was standing the crowd seemed to be rather attentive and appreciative. So that was cool. The performance of course, was exactly what I expected it to be, that is, out of control. In a good way.

They opened the evening with Start A War and there are very few things on this planet that balance the seeming contradiction of warm intimacy and epic anthemicism as the baritone vocals of Matt Berringer. For a band that hasn't played together for several months (with the exception of a charity show) his voice was there in all of its deep dark glory and the band themselves did not sound out of practice at all. While it's true that Matt dropped the mic a couple of times and even messed up a few of the opening lyrics to Fake Empire, I think that this had more to do with the liquid in his hand, as opposed to simply being away from the live stage. He even threw the mic stand into the crowd during a blistering performance of Mr. November, which was very rock 'n roll, as far as I'm concerned (although I am glad that I wasn't standing in the line of fire.) The set was mostly comprised of songs from Boxer and Alligator, with some of the highlights being a powerhouse performance of Squalor Victoria and a gruff rendition of Mistaken For Strangers, which had Berringer's voice growing increasingly more Joe Cocker-ish as the night went on. They did showcase a couple of new songs as well, including a noisily sprawling version of Vanderlylle Cry Baby that hinted at the fact that the band's next album is going to carry on in their essential epic, yet brooding Brooklyn style. The encore was equally triumphant, particularly during the one-two punch of the aforementioned Mr. November and About Today, both of which managed to ensure that the show ended on a rock 'n roll high.

Although the show was plagued with all of the usual annoyances that accompany shows at the simply awful Kool Haus, I would say that overall, people that truly appreciate The National (which I would guess would be about 85% of those in attendance) likely left the venue satisfied. The National are currently one of the best live bands on the planet, and this show left me in eager anticipation for the upcoming album, which is apparently due out later this year.

Photos: The National @ Kool Haus on flickr
(I was too far away to get any really good shots , but you can see Chromewaves' pics here, For The Records' pics here, and ChartAttack's pics here.)
Myspace: The National