Olenka and the Autumn Lovers w/ Secret Japanese Girlfriend and Sleep For The Nightlife @ Rancho Relaxo

There is no doubt in my mind that by this time next year, London Ontario's Olenka and the Autumn Lovers are going to be one of the great Canadian local buzz bands. Think of what they got going for them: the multi-membered indie collective thing, a very cute and personable lead vocalist and songs that are both uplifting and mesmerizing.

Lead singer Alexandra Krakus spent her childhood in communist Poland, and the influence of being raised in such a tumultuous environment seems to have served as a great inspiration to her music. Most impressive is that many of her songs are definitely emotive and personal, but never jaded or overtly angry. I was really taken in by her lyrical depth, her warm stage presence and her genuine interaction with the rest of her band. That band was very impressive too; which included, but was not limited to, a stand up bass, cello, violin, accordion, glockenspiel and guitars. That's a lot of instrumentation to throw up on the teeny tiny Rancho stage. At one point, we in the audience were also allowed to be a part of the band as tambourines, shakers and the like were handed out throughout the audience, (who incidentally were seated on the floor for the most part, creating a very warm and fuzzy ambiance.) The songs encompassed all things from alt-country to folk to indie pop, with some gypsy flavoured Eastern European stylings added to the mix.

Olenka and the Autumn Lovers will be at The Drake (Underground) on Aug 28th, 2008.

Photos: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers
Download: Flash In The Pan (demo) mp3


Secret Japanese Girlfriend is one of those artists where I understand why people don't like them more than understanding why I do like them. But the weird and eccentric side of me that has always embraced albums like Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica found itself getting absorbed into Doc Pickles bizarre little world. His talents as a musician and vocalist are questionable to say the least, but I have to say that his strange, witty and self deprecating lyrics were enough that, if I didn't take him too seriously, I could just sit back and enjoy this maniacal indie rock ride. From what I understand, Doc Pickles is an intense lover of all things related to Toronto's indie scene, and as the man behind the hugely successful Wavelength series, his efforts are to be applauded. For this performance, he only had a couple of musicians on stage with him, with the sound guy joining in on the flute. Sometimes it felt like the other members had never actually heard the songs before and they were just following his lead. But the goofy little songs had the crowd laughing out loud on more than one occasion and I think, for the most part, they were pretty well received. Whether they were laughing "with" or "at" him is another story, but I was laughing "with"him, if that means anything.

Secret Japanese Girlfriend will be at The Boat on Kensington on Aug 21st, 2008.

Photos: Secret Japanese Girlfriend @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr.
Myspace: Secret Japanese Girlfriend
Download: A Great Day For A Bookburning mp3


Kicking off the evening was some instrumental post rock in the form of Sleep For The Nightlife. I've always loved instrumental music but admittedly, I need to be in the mood for it. What's most impressive about SFTN is the fact that they put me in the mood. Their jovial and energetic live show exudes a very engaging feel, that sucked me in immediately. Another cool thing about being an instrumental band is the fact that you can name your songs virtually anything you want, thus song titles such as I Heart Pandas and Chinese Fire Drills. Besides having all of the usual elements of modern instrumentalists, I actually heard touches of jazz fusion in their songs, which is a sound I haven't been acquainted with for years. I welcome its return and, although the band is obviously still in its developing stages, it'll be interesting to track their development in the months ahead.

Sleep For The Nightlife will be at Duffy's Tavern at 1238 Bloor St W on August 23rd, 2008.

Photos: Sleep For The Nightlife @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Sleep For The Nightlife

BTW, I was totally at peace with missing the Radiohead concert on Friday night until I saw Frank's photos of the show. Now I'm filled with green eyed jealousy.