The Balconies, Tin Star Orphans, Boxes and Bags & Bella Clava @ The Horseshoe

As always, Tuesday night was Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite at The Horseshoe which means a bunch of free music. A couple of the bands on the bill came highly recommended to me personally so I figured that I would swing by and stay for at least a couple of them. Turns out that I stayed for most of the night.

The Balconies are the band that I was most highly encouraged to see and they kicked off the evening. I had literally spent zero time with their music beforehand so my expectations were basically non-existent. As it turns out, they have a sound that is right up my alley on a variety of levels. It's a very hip amalgamation of garage rock and some new wave bass coupled with a post-punk vocal that somehow makes the whole shebang sound like good old fashioned accessible pop music. The tight combo of drummer Liam Jaegar and bassist Steve Neville owes more than a little bit of credit to the ghosts of shoegazers past for their roaring sound, while guitarist Jacquie Neville has quite the intoxicating stage presence. I'll definitely be acquainting myself further with this promising young band from Ottawa.

The Balconies play El Mocambo on May 29th.

Photos: The Balconies @ The Horseshoe on flickr.
Myspace: The Balconies

From the opening strains of a Johnny Cash cover moment, it became obvious that Tin Star Orphans were going to provide the hurtin' music for the evening and thankfully, they do it quite well. Zachary Bennett's voice is filled with scratchy alcohol swigging enthrall, which makes the softer moments sound downright depressing, while the louder moments become twice as triumphant. They played a quirky set of what likely would be described by many as alt-country, although it did veer off on a few eccentric tangents. This definitely kept things interesting as they displayed a sound that was truly all their own. Even when they pulled out a cover of Roy Orbison's You Got It, it was presented in their own special way. Their latest album Yonder was released on May 5th.

Tin Star Orphans play their official CD release show at The Rivoli on May 29th with Graham Wright (from Tokyo Police Club) opening.

Photos: Tin Star Orphans @ The Horseshoe on flickr.
Myspace: Tin Star Orphans

The last time that I saw Boxes and Bags, I left the venue feeling very confused. The way that they responded to my review shows that not only are they cool with that, but challenging the listener is exactly what they are all about. They truly are a demented cast of characters, but while I left the last show not fully knowing where I stand on their music, this time around I enjoyed it immensely. Several of them came out wearing bella clava's on their faces (which will prove to be somewhat prophetic given the name of the next band) and they literally attacked the stage with a blast of noisy instruments and screaming vocals. Their sound was far from tight but once again, I think that's the point, as they blasted through a set of ultra eccentric ramshackled psychedelic idiosyncrattitude! If you don't know what that means, then check out this band live to find out. Call me crazy, but I think they may be on their way to reaching some alien form of legendary in our unique city.

Boxes and Bags are playing Sneaky Dee's on June 7th.

Photos: Boxes and Bags @ The Horseshoe on flickr.
Myspace: Boxes and Bags

From a band that wears bella clavas to a band called Bella Clava, these guys ended the night with their celebratory brand of classic rock. In the spirit of the day, their stage held not only the three mask sporting band members, but also a female mannequin in similar diggs and a mask weilding bunny piñata hanging just in front of the stage. The band performed some straight forward rock 'n roll that also contains traces of jazz and blues infected rhythms. Caitlin Cady's voice has a slightly schmoozy quality to it that is very captivating while the guitarist Steve Suttie was just one amazing solo after another. The drummer Luis Figueroa of course kept everything tight and driving ahead at a frantic pace as the band played a set that certainly kept the attention of all in the audience. I didn't end up staying for the full set, but I did stick around long enough to see several enthusiastic crowd members beat the heck out of that poor hanging bunny while the band provided a rabid soundtrack to the excitement.

Bella Clava play The Reverb on May 27th.

Photos: Bella Clava @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Bella Clava

Deadbeat Dads, Boxes & Bags and The Stables @ Rancho Relaxo

The first ever edition of Two Way Monologues Wallet Friendly Indie Showcase was a hootin' and hollerin' good time, featuring three bands that focused on a good natured "let's see how much fun we can possibly have" type of attitude that taught us all that one does not need to be snobby to be indie.

The first band on the bill was Deadbeat Dads who, like their name, are not meant to be taken too seriously. Lead vocalist Carlo began the set with a rambling spoken word piece that may or may not have been prolific, but was certainly a lot of fun to listen to. From there on in, the band blasted through a frenetic set that reminded me a bit of Ween meets Moldy Peaches. I really appreciated their whole tongue in cheek attitude, and I think they're the type of band that one should really see at the end of a long hard work week, because they are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I've been listening to their demo CD all day, and it gets better with every listen. They handed it to me after the show. It was recorded on a simple Sony CD-R, with the track listing scribbled down in pen, which I consider to be very Daniel Johnston, which equals very cool, as far as I'm concerned.

Photos: Deadbeat Dads @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Download: Happy Destroyer mp3
Myspace: Deadbeat Dads

I had never felt more confused than I was before, during, and after Boxes and Bags hit the stage. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy them. I did. They just confused me, that's all. They played (mostly) instrumental music. And they yelled sometimes. And they held up signs with catch phrases on them. And they clapped their hands and chanted. And they laid down on the ground. And the lead singer wore a fake beard. And a couple of them had masks on. And a Blue Jays hat. And the guitarist with the cowboy hat had no shoes on. Or socks. However, all of this chaos and tom foolery would have been incredibly off-putting if the band didn't have the chops to pull it off and thankfully they did. Their playing was tight and their presentation, while completely schizo, created the exact mood that they were likely striving to create. Or at least I think it did. I'm not sure. Because I'm confused. I am pretty sure that I can't wait for the CD to be released though. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing / hearing them again as I'll bet that they are constantly full of surprises.

Photos: Boxes and Bags @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Boxes and Bags

The band I was really anxious to see was The Stables. Let me explain. I don't really mention it all that often but I was born and raised in Ontario's virtual time warp, a city called Oshawa, or The 'Shwa to its townspeople. I haven't been introduced to a lot of good music from The 'Shwa over the years, simply because it's not a city that's generally known for its quality indie music stylings. I think Kim Mitchell's "Patio Lanterns" has been number one on the Oshawa charts for the past 20 years. (I'm kidding of course; pretty sure there is no 'Shwa chart.) Thankfully, alt-country outfit Cuff The Duke put to rest any notion to the thought that Oshawa was incapable of providing the indie scene with anything worthwhile. This is simply by virtue of the fact that, as Tony the Tiger would say, they're great! So when I started to hear the buzz about this other band from the Galahad, Glebe, and Gladfern district, I just had to check them out. (You have to be from 'Shwa to understand the triple 'G' reference, and even then...) In a word, they're fantastic! A sampling of their myspace selection could lead one to foolishly conclude that they are simply a novelty band, but that couldn't be further from the truth. They do play songs that are incredibly fun, like "ADD" and "Too Old To Skate" which has the wittiest singalong chorus I've heard in a while. But as the show carried on, I became more and more impressed with their ability to craft an incredibly well put together pop song. They truly have a gift, and many of their songs are incredibly moving and heartwarming. I also love that their band setup is as simple as they come. You've got your guitar, a tiny little drum kit, and a "standup" bass made out of an overturned wash basin, a pole and a rope. By this time of the night, the crowds were beginning to get a little scanty, but the band performed as if they were standing in a stadium full 'o people. That takes devotion and a real love for their craft. Next time they're in town, please take the opportunity to see them. You will not regret it.

Photos: The Stables @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Download: Too Old To Skate mp3
Myspace: The Stables