Kurt Vile @ Criminal Records (In-Store Performance)

As of today, my most listened to album of 2010 has got to be Kurt Vile's Childish Prodigy, which is just about perfect as far as I'm concerned. There is something very seductive about its lo-fi melding of trippy 70's sounds and in your face songwriting that I find myself returning to it a couple of times a week. What's interesting is that, while expressing my enthusiasm toward seeing him perform in the intimate confines of a local record shop, a friend recently asked me to describe his music, and do you think I could do it? Of course not. And although my fumbling for the right words frustrated me a bit at the time, I suppose it's a testament to the originality of his material that I was unable to hurl a tag at him so easily. There's definitely some elements of psychedelia in there, but Roky Erickson, Mr. Vile is not. He's a little bit freaky and a little bit folky, but when the term 'freak-folk' calls to mind artists like Devendra Banhart, it hardly seems like that is an accurate tag either, although enjoying both of those artists may be a step in the right direction. Until I think of something better, I'm just going to go with fuzzed-out, lo-fi, Philadephian psychedelifolk, with a hint of classic rock throw in for good measure. And as lame as my particular description may be, the performance on that blustery winter eve was anything but.

When I heard his performances on CBC's Q earlier in the day, it seemed as if he was going to have some accompaniment on guitar and percussion with him for the show, but as it turned out, this was a solo performance and although he seemed slightly awkward on his own, that mild timidity still boasted an assured-ness that was quite endearing. There were a few issues with getting the sound just right, and although I don't think they ever really did, the slight hiss actually added to the overall effect, creating an atmospheric buzz that was well suited with Vile's fuzzed out tones. He opened with Overnite Religion and immediately followed that up with Dead Alive, both songs sounding even warmer and more haunting than on the album, largely as a result of his deliberately muffled vocals. One of the biggest surprises to me was the fact that he was a dang good guitarist, taking the opportunity to showcase his finger picking abilities several times throughout the show. His banter was laid back and brief, yet even simple questions like "What's the Opera House like?" was met with great enthusiasm. He played many of the great songs from the album, but unfortunately he didn't get to perform my favourite song Freak Train, likely due to the song's use of heavy percussion, of which he had none. Still, it was a short set that was still surprisingly heavy on material, and as he neared the end, an audience member loudly requested Blackberry Song, which had Vile respond by saying something like, "um, yah, well..." before he lunged into something entirely different. His sense of humour shone through though as he ended off with "that song for that dude" which, of course, was his way of introducing the aforementioned request. Sadly I wasn't going to be able to make it out to the Opera House for the actual show that evening, but I felt more than satisfied with what I did see, and there's no doubt that I'll likely get the opportunity to catch a full set next time around.

Photos: My pictures of Kurt Vile @ Criminal Records are on flickr
Myspace: Kurt Vile
Download: Overnite Religion mp3
Download: Hunchback mp3

Other stuff:
Born Ruffians are set to release their sophomore album entitled Say It on June 1st on Paper Bag Records. The first single, Soul Brother, is available as a free download. [Myspace: Born Ruffians]

The Weakerthans will be releasing a brand new CD/DVD set entitled Live at The Burton Cummings Theatre on March 23rd. They'll be celebrating this release with an all ages show at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on May 26th with their special guest Bahamas whose Pink Strat is up for a Juno in the Best Roots Album category. All ticket information is here. [Myspace: The Weakerthans, Bahamas]

Yah, so OK Go are officially the greatest music video makers of all time. Watch their latest video for This Too Shall Pass for proof. [Myspace: OK Go]

Two Way Monologues has ten questions with British Colombia's We Are The City. They are playing the Rancho Relaxo tonight for $5. [Myspace: We Are The City]

BBC Radio 6 Music News reports that Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's Dark Night Of The Soul album is going to FINALLY get an official release sometime this year. Because last year's leak of the album made it an unofficial release, I was not able to include it on my year end best of, although in my opinion it would've definitely made it into my top 3. Maybe this qualifies it to be included on this year's list. Hmmmm.... [Myspace: Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse]

Basia Bulat @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

Falling under the category of "sure thing" is the irresistible talents of Basia Bulat, a person that I've seen perform several times now, yet who still manages to leave me in awe every time. In promotion of her latest release entitled Heart Of My Own she's been playing a number of shows lately at slightly larger venues, but prior to this in-store at Soundscapes I would have to say that my favourite time seeing her was when she played another in-store at Criminal Records a couple of years ago. I just find that her brand of humble acoustic folk is well suited for the intimate setting of a local record store, and it doesn't get much more intimate than the slight surroundings of Soundscapes.

As anticipated, the crowds didn't take very long to build and, as usual, I was happy that I had the sense to get there a little bit earlier. It ended up being a packed house that certainly wasn't as uncomfortably full as I had seen the place before, but it was still a pretty healthy crowd indeed. There were a couple of other factors that contributed to the intimate vibe of the evening. First of all, we all sat on the floor, which is cozy and stuff yet once again the dreaded foot falling asleep situation that haunted me only a mere month ago at the An Horse in-store show reared its ugly head again (although it should be noted that this was way more comfortable than that one was.) Secondly, when Basia took her place she requested that only her autoharp be plugged in as she felt that audio enhancement wasn't really necessary for such a small venue. A gutsy move for sure, but one that paid off nicely as the whole set felt that it was only a fireplace away from being as warm and personal a show as it could be. She focused mainly on newer material, which I'll admit I haven't really taken the time to listen to yet, but the personal unfamiliarity to the songs had no effect on my overall enjoyment. If anything, hearing her voice in this natural setting only made me twice as eager to check it out as soon as possible. The unmic'd situation really drove home just how powerful her voice actually is, as there didn't seem to be a single person who remained unaffected by her entrancing vibrato. The highlight of the set for me was her closing number which was an acapella rendition of an old gospel number that she sang sans instrument, only using her handclaps and footstomps as percussion. It made for a humorous moment when her foot stomping made a small amount of merchandise fall to the floor, which had her remark "Neil Young is going to kill me", which was greeted by great laughter from all in attendance. It must've been one of his books or CD's that fell. Still, it's that unforced human quality that endears so many people to her both as an artist and as a person. As she heads stateside to continue touring the new material, she'll no doubt continue to make new fans and friends along the way, and it'll be interesting to watch her popularity continue to rise, as it no doubt will.

Photos: My pictures of Basia Bulat @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: Basia Bulat
Download: Gold Rush mp3
Video: Highlights from the performance are at Now Magazine
Video: Basia Bulat was also interviewed in the basement at Soundscapes the day of the show on AuxTV.

Other stuff:

You've probably heard about this already, but Broken Social Scene have returned with an epic new song called World Sick which can be downloaded for free on their website. (You'll need to give them your email address). The song  is awesome, as expected, and it will be featured on their upcoming album which well be called Forgiveness Rock Record, as is scheduled to be out in May. [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves have a new video out for the song Shepherd of Lost Shopping Carts. [Myspace: Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves]

Dutch indie rock band Bettie Serveert is back with an excellent  new album called Pharmacy of Love and a track entitled Deny All is available for free download. [Myspace: Bettie Serveert]

[Via Chart Attack] It looks like Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon are going to be recording a "trio" album with Yoko Ono which, I can't believe I'm saying this, sounds like it could be pretty interesting. [Myspaces: Sonic Youth; Yoko Ono]

And lastly, it seems that this is the season for in-store events, with some pretty interesting ones coming up. Zeus will be playing Soundscapes on March 6th at 6pm. Kurt Vile is going to be at Criminal Records on February 26th at 6:30pm. And during CMW on March 13th, Criminal Records has got an awesome three-fer featuring Aidan Knight (5pm), Dan Mangan (6pm) and Hollerado (7pm). Yay free music!

Shotgun Jimmie @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

Shotgun Jimmie's latest release Still Jimmie (which I reviewed here) is not an album that I would say I pull out on a regular basis, but whenever I do, it instantly brings a smile to my face. It really is a solid album through and through, and I really don't know why I never think about it other than the fact that I listen to a lot of music and it's hard to remember everything. When I heard that he was coming to town and including an in-store at Soundscapes on his stay, I hadn't initially planned on going. But as I was preparing to head out for another show last Wednesday night, it was really by mere fluke that I stopped into the store to check him out. And I must admit, that I'm very glad that I did.

I wouldn't say that I'm much of an expert on the works of Jim Killpatrick and to be honest, Still Jimmie, his third album, is actually the only one that I've heard. However, that album alone was enough to convince me that, lyrically speaking, his was a man of charismatic whimsy, and this was doubly apparent in his laid back performance. Every song he performed that evening was preceded and followed by a quip or two and, I've got to say, that Jimmie is one funny guy. But he's quite talented also, as was made obvious as he sang and played guitar at the same time as hitting the snare drum with one foot and the bass drum with the other. Most of his set featured material from the familiar album, which he explained was all killer, no filler and filled with only the greatest "pop" hits. He then attempted to take requests, but then had to admit that he couldn't remember how to play the one that was first suggested. He did follow that up with a different request though, and then went on to play some new songs, the second of which was obviously still a work in progress as he hilariously took to improvising some of the lyrics on the spot.

Overall this was a performance filled with much laughter and good times, which, as we all know, has always been the Maritime way and I, for one, appreciated him taking the time to bring some of that joviality to us.

Photos: My shots of Shotgun Jimmie @ Soundscapes are on flickr
Myspace: Shotgun Jimmie
Download: Mind Crumb mp3


Other news:
Sorry I haven't done these for awhile but I've been meaning to start them up again. And here goes:

Local psych-folk experience The Space Between Things is planning on re-issuing the Songs About You EP with additional songs and artwork on Friday November 13th. Like the original it is going to be offered as a free download on the TSBT website. [Myspace: The Space Between Things]

Tracy Shedd has a new video for a song called City At Night that will be the first track on an upcoming EP entitled EP88, which will be available on Eskimo Kiss Records in early 2010. [Myspace: Tracy Shedd]

Entire Cities will be re-releasing their amazing album Deep River on white vinyl. The show will be at The Garrison in Toronto on November 19th. [Myspace: Entire Cities]

Spoon is finally releasing a new album and it will be entitled Transference. It will be released in North America on Merge on January 26th and in Europe the day before on Anti-. Stereogum has the track listing as well as some live versions of a few of the songs. [Myspace: Spoon]

The amazing Montreal folkster Leif Vollebekk has just been signed to Nevado Records, which means that the label's streak of signing only the best in Canadian indie is still very much in tact. His debut album Inland will be re-released on January 19th on both CD and 12" vinyl. [Myspace: Leif Vollebekk]

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!

Hooded Fang, Steamboat, Little Girls & Green Go @ Sonic Boom

Yesterday Sonic Boom hosted a pretty full afternoon/evening of free music in honour of International Record Store Day and although I wasn't able to stay for the whole thing, I did catch the first four bands. In the spirit of musical appreciation, diversity was the order of the day with all of the bands bringing something unique to the table.

My vote for most improved band goes to Hooded Fang, whom I have now seen three times in only a few months. I always liked them, but this show really emphasized the fact that they have really progressed from being just another cute amateur local indie act. Their professionalism was very apparent this time around and I was actually surprised at how tight their musicianship has become. The last couple of times that I saw them, I was full of suggestions as to how they can improve, but now I'm beginning to think that they're at a point where, if they want to reach similar levels of success as Los Campesinos! or Architecture in Helsinki, it may actually be within their grasp.

Myspace: Hooded Fang

Speaking of tight musicianship, Steamboat was on next. This band boasts a classic sound that, while not particularly new, is nicely settled in a soulful R&B territory that is not ventured too often these days. The band had garnered some buzz last summer when they shared the stage at The Tranzac with some pretty heavy local hitters like Andre Ethier, Sandro Perri and Alex Lukashevsky, to name a few. Matt McLaren's gruff yet distinguished vocals were impossible to ignore and Steamboat's brand of jammy rootsy soul reminded me more than a little bit of The Band. Besides their original material, they even pulled out an old reggae cover. I think it was a John Holt song, if memory serves me correctly. What I do remember is that it sounded great. At four songs, their set served as more of a preview to what the full show must be like, but it was entertaining enough to make me curious to hear some more.

Steamboat plays The Tranzac with Sandro Perri and Mantler on April 25th
Myspace: Steamboat

In keeping with the "now for something completely different" theme of the evening, Little Girls hit the stage next with a sound that was sure to break everyone's concentration, as well as perhaps a couple of eardrums too. Never before has the description of noise-pop been more apt since this band was definitely noisy. Apparently this was the band's very first show, so understandably the sound was still a little bit rough, but I thought there was some definite potential hidden beneath that ginormous wall of sound. Josh McIntyre had an otherworldly stage presence that was as arresting as it was jarring. And although I thought that the sound system unfortunately buried the melodies a little bit, a sampling of the material on their myspace page indicates that not only are the melodies there, but they are actually very strong. Rumour has it that there has been some significant interest in Little Girls, and it'll be interesting to see where that interest takes them.

Little Girls are playing Rancho Relaxo with The Bitters on May 1st.
Myspace: Little Girls

At that point, hunger was dictating that I should probably think about leaving soon, but more than a few people have been encouraging me to see Green Go, so I told my gut to shut up for just a few minutes and decided to stick around to see if these guys are really all that buzz worthy. As some of you may know, dance music tends to miss me more than it hits me, so based on certain descriptions, I really haven't spent any time with Green Go's upcoming release Borders, even though I've had it in my digital mailbox for a few days now. To my surprise however, this groovy synth-heavy band from Guelph had the ability to crank the excitement pretty frickin' high while in the basement of this record store, which leaves me in complete awe as to what they must be able to accomplish on an actual dance floor. I think part of what makes these guys so appealing to me is the fact that, while their shouty electro funk is certainly designed for summoning up one's inner groove thang, their use of all the standard instrumentation ensures that they do so with an organic rock 'n roll heart. I've listened to their debut a couple of times since seeing this show and the vibe of their live show is not lost on their recorded output. Very impressive.

Green Go is having their CD release party at Wrongbar on April 30th.
Myspace: Green Go

All of my photos of Record Store Day @ Sonic Boom are on flickr.

The Von Bondies @ Criminal Records (In-Store Performance)

Over the last year or so, the in-store performance has become much more frequent than I remember it being in years past, and I loves me a good in-store show for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's usually quite brief, which caters nicely to my personal attention span. Secondly, it's generally early, which caters nicely to my love of sleep. And thirdly, they are always free, which caters nicely to my being broke. After thoroughly enjoying The Hylozoists performance at Soundscapes earlier this week, I figured that I may as well go down to Criminal Records on Queen Street and check out the rock 'n roll assault that is The Von Bondies.

I got there rather early as I was expecting it to be quite packed. The Von Bondies are part of the killer Detroit garage scene of the early 2000's. This was a scene that included such heavies as The Detroit Cobras, The Dirtbombs and, of course, The White Stripes. The Von Bondies have continued to garner further publicity since those days, but unfortunately it hasn't all been good. There was the much publicized barroom brawl between Von Bondies lead Jason Stollsteimer and Jack White, which inevitably led to the lack of support from Jack. In the meantime, they sued their previous label Sire Records and went through a bit of a lineup change. Still, I figured that any publicity is good publicity, and all of that buzz would certainly bring people to the store on a Friday evening. By showtime, the store did fill up quite nicely, although it wasn't as full as I expected it to be. Also, I think for the most part, it was people who were curious to see what these guys are all about, as opposed to die hard fans of the band. No doubt, the die-hards were all at The Horseshoe later that night. For this set, they played mostly songs from the new album, which sees the band shift slightly from being a hard hitting rock 'n roll band, to being more of a hard hitting power pop band. However, emphasis should be placed on the word "slightly" since the band made it clear that they can still rock out with the best of them. I noticed that the female presence in the band seemed to be more for the purpose of melodic accompaniment, as opposed to thrashy throaty screamfests. The contrast was most noticeable when the band pulled out an older track which, if memory serves, was It Came From Japan, from their 2002 debut. The Mudhoney-like immediacy of that song was quite the headbanging change from their newer material. Still, I really liked the newer material which was filled with catchy hooks and endearing boy-girl harmonies. I'm pretty sure that they recruited a few new fans from this performance, and this is a good thing, since I believe that ultimately, this is what the free in-store performance is all about.

Photos: My pics of The Von Bondies @ Criminal Records are on flickr
Myspace: The Von Bondies
Video: Pale Bride on youtube
Video: It Came From Japan on youtube
Video: C'mon C'mon (Live on Letterman) on youtube

The Hylozoists @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

In my early twenties I went through a faze where I only listened to instrumental music for about eight months or so. I grew up listening to prog and so the natural progression from there seemed to be to turn myself on to a lyric-less universe, which included minor forays into electronica, classical, ambient and a whole lot of jazz. All of those genres still hold a special place in my heart, but a latter day love of Tom Waits and Bob Dylan has set me on a course that is much more lyrically based. This is why going to see an instrumental band as astounding as The Hylozoists awakens in me, not simply the feeling that comes from a refreshing change, but the carefully placed love of music that, for me personally, the human voice is unable to equal. Instrumental music allows a place for exploration wherein vocal music is limited to travel. While it's true that there are some vocalists that reach for otherworldly plateaus by using their voice as an instrument of sorts, in most cases, I find that the vocal gymnastics that are popular amongst the idol /diva types tends to just get on my nerves. The strong argument could be made that opera does so in a more respectable way but again, this is a type of music I respect more than enjoy. But instrumental music, ahhh, for whatever reason it does it for me. When it is done well.

Anyway, what my opening paragraph ramble is trying to say is that I enjoyed The Hylozoists in-store performance at Soundcapes a lot more than I expected to. I knew it would be enjoyable, but I actually didn't want it to end. It's been a while since my ADD'ed self has said anything like that. But the vibraphonic musical journey that Paul Aucoin et al led us on the other night played out like a grand cinematic masterpiece, albeit one that ended way too soon. They played many new songs from their latest album L'Île de Sept Villes, as well as a couple of older ones. From what I could tell based on my limited knowledge of the band's output, the newer songs seemed to display a greater vibrancy and sense of adventure than some of their earlier material. Their own description of the new album describes it as "more of a sonic dream, with greater focus on the landscape of the pieces then on quirky rhythms." I particularly enjoyed the pieces that would begin in one area, developing a certain mood, before escalating into another area, one that is perhaps more anthemic. I also thought that I heard traces of 60's jazz and hard bop, particularly in the carnivalesque way that the glockenspiel and the organ accompanied each other. Most impressive of all however, is the way that this six piece can create the sound of a mini orchestra, creating a sophistication that is usually not synonamous with the idea of indie rock. Paul Aucoin's association with bands like The Sadies and Cuff The Duke may have proved that he's an accomplished musician, but the music of The Hylozoists shows that he is, above all, a composer extrordinaire.

The Hylozoists are opening for Jill Barber at The Mod Club on Saturday February 21st.

Photos: My pics of The Hylozoists @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: The Hylozoists
Download: The Island Of Seven Cities mp3

Born Ruffians @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

I can't say that I know a lot about Toronto's own Born Ruffians. I've read about them and I've sampled their music from time to time but nothing ever really made that much of an impression on me. However, the walk over to Soundscapes on a sunny Sunday afternoon is just way too convenient, so I figured why not see what these guys are all about.

Last night they had a CD release party at Lee's Palace in support of their latest offering called Red, Yellow and Blue. When I'd listened to some of their songs before, lead vocalist Luke Lalonde's voice reminded me of many of the emo bands that I liked back in the 90's but flatly deny ever liking now. Well, I've been off before, and I think that last comment just may be my off-est comment so far. These guys could not possibly be further from emo and any other angsty teeny bopper musical type genre, for that matter. First of all, I noticed that they are very accomplished musicians. And secondly, they are very funny and apparently never too proud to make fun of themselves. This was a highly enjoyable show, and although I was relatively unfamiliar with the songs, I found their call and response type numbers in particular, to be very endearing. It's quite possible that many others in attendance may have been in the same position as I, because when the band asked if anyone had been at their show the previous evening, they were met with nothing but the sound of crickets. To me, this means that we were all curious enough to check them out at a free in-store, but not curious enough to fish out the do-re-mi to see them last night. Clearly, they converted me though, and hopefully they did the same for others.

Photos: My pics of Born Ruffians @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: Born Ruffians
Download: Hummingbird mp3

Video: Hummingbird youtube
Video: I Need A Life youtube

Peter Morén @ Soundscapes (In Store Performance)

Last year, I did not mince words when talking about how great it was to see Peter Bjorn and John live. It was easily my favorite show of my concert full year. Sadly, I didn't get to see their return to our city in January but from what I've heard, it was equally as engrossing. Well, it looks like we'll have another release from them before too long, but in the meantime, Peter Morén's The Last Tycoon has been garnering substantial praise on its own. Since the new PB&J is rumoured to be an instrumental album, The Last Tycoon may be the closest thing we get to a new pop release from Peter. I have yet to hear the album myself, but from the songs he performed at Soundscapes yesterday, it sounds like a pretty decent album.

I knew that I was not going to be able to check out his show at the El Mocambo last night, so I was very glad that my work day ended a little bit earlier because Peter was scheduled to go on at 4pm. That's hardly the ideal time for people with normal jobs. Thankfully my job is somewhat abnormal and therefore, on this particular day, I was able to reap the benefits. (Today however, I did my taxes and there, my friends, is where the benefits of an abnormal work situation stops. But I digress...) He may have been minus Bjorn and John, but he still had two other mates with him, namely Tobias Froberg on bass and Doug Marvin from Dirty On Purpose on drums. He opened the show with a Richard Hell cover. I did not know the song myself, but it sounded good. He mentioned that his decision to play the cover was really sort of a spur of the moment thing and his band mates apparently didn't know he was going to play it, which made the performance even more amazing. He also pulled out Goodbye Again Or, a song from Falling Out, PB&J's second album. But for the most part, he stuck to songs from the solo release. In this intimate setting, what really stood out for me was what a unique and individual voice he has. I really enjoyed his set closer, an enthusiastic performance of a song called Social Competence. He finished by saying that he had to stop playing so that people come to his show that evening. Ending with that song was an effective way of encouraging people to attend because it really is a great sounding tune. And for those of us who couldn't attend, well, let's just say that now I wish that I could've attended. Drat.

Photos: My pics of Peter Morén @ Soundscapes are on flickr
Download: Social Competence mp3

Myspace: Peter Morén
Purchase: The Last Tycoon at Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records

Ray Davies @ HMV (In-Store Performance)

It was a brief performance, so I figured I'd throw up a brief review before hitting the hay early on a Friday night. First of all, it should be mentioned that the HMV at 333 Yonge Street in Toronto has hands down the worst setup I've ever seen for an in-store performance. By mere fluke I got there mega early, and as it turns out, it's a good thing I did. The setup made it possible for maybe 20 out of the ... um ... way more than that, to see what was going on. However, waiting over an hour to see a 20 minute show will not go down as one of the brightest moments in my personal history. On the other hand, how often do you get to stand a few feet away from a true rock legend?

Ray Davies was here on one of only a couple of appearances to promote his new CD "Working Man's Cafe." The man of course, is an incredible songwriter, and the songs that he performed from the album sounded quite good, for a first listen. He's always been applauded for his often satirical lyrics, and his presence and banter during this performance proved that he is just as witty and amicable as ever. I could've sworn that he promised to play a few Kinks classics, but he only played "Lola," which had everybody singing along, as they should. Aw well, one is better than none, I guess. Afterwards, he stayed behind to do the autograph thing, but the line was long and I've never been a big autograph person. I already had a better view of the show than almost everybody else there anyway. Because I was an hour early. Because I'm cool. And now I'll get back to going to bed early on a Friday night.

Photos: Ray Davies @ HMV on flickr
Myspace: Ray Davies
Video: 'In A Moment' on David Letterman on youtube

Basia Bulat @ Criminal Records (In-Store Performance)

Ah, Basia. After melting my heart about a month ago while opening for Ohbijou at Lee's Palace, Basia Bulat's Oh My Darling has been in incessant rotation on the old ipod. As you can see by it's high placing on my year end best of, the album has pierced my very soul, and the opportunity to see her play for free at a local record store was an opportunity that I could definitely not pass up on. This wasn't your typical 20 minuter, as most in-stores are, because this one was being broadcast on CBC Radio 3. So, for all intents and purposes, this was a full out concert. What particularly warmed my heart was the turn out for this event. I got there early (just to be safe) and although I needn't of worried at that time, getting there right at seven may not have proved itself to be quite as advantageous. The place was packed, which was truly great to see. Basia's voice was flawless, as she opened the show singing accompanied only by her own foot stomps and handclaps. She could sing the phone book, as far as I'm concerned. Flawless. She always looks like she's genuinely having the time of her life when she performs, and she also looks at her bandmates as if she's a proud mother, truly blown away by all that they contribute. Add all that to her apparently sincere humility, and you've got yourself what I would consider to be a real Canadian treasure. Cuff The Duke's Wayne Petti also sang along for the last song. It'll be interesting to see what the next year or two holds for Basia. I've heard from a very reliable source, that with the Rough Trade label having recently been sold to the Beggars Group, her potential for significant promotion overseas is huge. I wish her all the success that she deserves.

I should also add that upon meeting her after the show, I've come to the conclusion that her adorabilty is no mere act of showmanship. This girl is genuine, through and through. (Added bonus: she explained how to properly pronounce her name. It's "Basha," if you're wondering...) It was really cool to meet her, and she treated us as if we've been her friends for years. If my predictions for the future are even remotely accurate, then you know I'll be playing the "I knew her when" card. How can I not?

Photos: Basia Bulat @ Criminal Records on flickr
Download: Snakes and Ladders mp3
Myspace: Basia Bulat
Video: Snakes and Ladders live in Brussels on youtube.