Ten Kens, Five Blank Pages and The Incidentals @ Rancho Relaxo

TWM 6 at Rancho Relaxo was another massive success as the joint had been filled to beyond capacity by local folks hungering for another slice of the relatively unknown in Toronto based indie rock. I'm wicked tired today so the posts are going to be short and sweet.

Ten Kens are a literary art troupe from Toronto whose sounds remind me heavily of the psychedelic sounds of The Doors or the Velvet Underground. But when it comes to this band, comparisons are basically futile because their music is shrouded in outstandingly unique experimentation that showcases powerhouse hooks that are intelligently camouflaged amidst deep bassy vocals. The band has definitely been in the right place at the right time, because although being relatively new, they have already been signed to Fat Cat Records, home of Animal Collective and Sigur Ros. Alternate Biker is my favorite song on their myspace page, which opens with some poetic spoken word before exploding into a surf rock mind attack. All their songs are pretty impressive for simply being demos, and their live show had so many supporters that some had to be turned away at the door due to exceeded capacity. They played amidst a backdrop of short films depicting random images which made for an overall surreal experience.

Photos: Ten Kens @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Ten Kens

Apparently Rajiv Thavanathan has the energy and stamina of a 7 year old kid on a licorice binge, because he demonstrated even more enthusiasm playing with Five Blank Pages than he did the previous evening playing with Oh No Forest Fires, which I didn't feel could be possible. FBP is by all means a family affair, with Noyan Hilmi on lead vocals joined by his wife Pinar on vocals and keys, and his sister Chelen on drums. I found their music very easy to digest, playing straight ahead indie-pop with all the hooks and harmonies necessary to make a person feel good. Their live show was highly enjoyable as Noyan's laid back wit and demeanor proved to be an endearing contrast to Rajiv's incessant bounding and climbing as the ladies filled in the harmonies, creating an atmosphere that is straight out of a Sloan show circa 1994. If you missed this show, they're playing all over the place over the next few weeks so keep your eyes open.

Photos: Five Blank Pages @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr.
Myspace: Five Blank Pages (you can download some of their songs here as well.)

Starting the night off was The Incidentals, featuring Jesse James Laderoute on vocals. This was to be his last performance as The Incidentals, so he was determined to make it count. His set was filled with zeal and pizzazz as it was clear that JJ was there to have a good time. The banter was witty and the songs were great. His performance brought me back to some of the great east coast bands of the 90's, like Thrush Hermit and Superfriendz, which is a musical area I've always felt very comfortable being in. He ended his set with a bang, refusing to let the last song stop without any type of self-induced fanfare, as he screamed the last chorus at the top of his lungs to the delight of all standing near the stage. From this day on, Jesse shall be known as Young Mother, and it will be interesting to see what instrumental plane he will be boarding this time around.

Photos: The Incidentals @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Young Mother