Canadian Music Fest 2010: Day Three

featuring The Balconies, Ghostkeeper, Gypsophilia, Gemma Ray, Krupke and Boats

So basically I'm an idiot. Even though I read and reread the CMF schedule over several times, I was still convinced that The Balconies and Ghostkeeper were going to be hitting the Criminal Records instore on THURSDAY, which meant that I would be unable to see them, but very much able to catch Dan Mangan, Aidan Knight and Hollerado at that very same store on the FRIDAY, which had me very excited. I even saw on Chromewaves that he had listed Mangan for SATURDAY and I came very close to making a comment clarifying to him that FRIDAY was the actually night of the Mangan appearance. Thankfully I didn't do this because as I arrived at the store on FRIDAY to see Mangan, it became painfully obvious that Mangan would not be showing up because he was, in fact, slated to appear on SATURDAY, not FRIDAY, as my idiotic brain had been telling me all day. So seeing as The Balconies did not play the store on THURSDAY, this meant that I arrived to see them setting up to play on the day in which I arrived, which, if you've been following, was of course FRIDAY. Yah, so basically, idiot = me.

The mental mixup, along with the fact that the rain was all kinds of annoying, meant that I wasn't in the chipper-est of moods, but I figured that since I was already there, I might as well settle in to watch The Balconies perform, yet again. I suppose that I haven't seen them as often as most other local music buffs have, but it seems that everywhere I turn there's another article about these guys, and honestly, I felt like I was beginning to O.D. on The Balconies. However, two seconds into the band's first song I came to realize that those thoughts were just me being stubborn, because those power chords reminded me quickly that The Balconies really are as great as the buzz that surrounds them, and I could never really get sick of what this band has to offer. My favourite thing about them is the fact that Jacquie and Stephen have distinctly different approaches to the way that they sing and perform, but it works together very well, so that things manage to stay varied, without being disjointed. On top of that, while most bands would use the in-store forum as an opportunity to feature a warmer and more comforting side to their music, these guys rocked out as heartily as any appearance I've ever seen by them, proving that there is never an inappropriate time to rock. Most importantly, I still maintain that their already solid sound is still that of a band who have their most impressive work ahead of them. I think that at this point, the world is very much their oyster, and while there may be a few bigger bands in the city right now, I predict that The Balconies are the ones with the greatest surviving power and in a few years from now, we are going to be shocked by how far they've come. Mark my words!

Myspace: The Balconies
Download: Lulu mp3
Photos: My pictures of The Balconies @ Criminal Records are on flickr.

Up next was a Calgary band whom I had honestly never even heard of, who go by the name Ghostkeeper. Although I personally would not go out of my way to attend a show by a band with such a name, once again, I was already there, so I figured that I might as well see what these guys are all about. Admittedly, there was a bit of an adjustment period after the relatively straightforward approach of the band that preceded them, as there was no instantly discernible hooks or melodies poking through the seemingly irrational compositions. But little by little they were starting to win me over. Lead vocalist Shane Ghostkeeper's voice has a bit of a laziness to it, that is at first a tad off-putting as I wished that he would open his mouth just a little bit more so that I could understand SOMETHING that he was saying. But after a while his laid back intone actually started to have more of a calming effect on me, which allowed me to focus more clearly on the music itself, which was actually a showcase of some old Southern blues and folk that presented itself as sort of a lo-fi Robert Johnson, of sorts. By the end of their set, I found that I was enjoying it quite a bit and I think that if they return to Toronto soon, I might be tempted to hear how they would sound at a place like The Horseshoe or Dakota Tavern.

Myspace: Ghostkeeper
Download: By Morning mp3
Photos: My pictures of Ghostkeeper @ Criminal Records are on flickr

Following the instore sets, I had an hour to kill before heading to Rancho Relaxo, so I thought that I'd walk up Spadina and grab some health food at the local Burger King. The wind and rain was pretty much an established fact at this point, and I think that I can say without exaggeration that that northward walk to my destination may be the worst thing that I've ever had to do. Still, it was nothing a crappy poutine and a Whopper couldn't fix, and after fueling up I was ready to take on the rest of the night. What came next was only the pleasantest of surprises.

I had eluded to earlier that I wanted to use this festival as an opportunity to expand an horizon or two by trying out some acts that I wouldn't under normal circumstances. I think that going to see an instrumental jazz band that drapes itself  in sounds combining elements of European gypsy music, funk and fusion with a touch of Django Reinhardt guitar and a splash of Dixieland fun thrown in, would certainly fall into that category. Upon seeing Halifax's Gypsophilia, their impressive set actually had me twitting (tweeting? tweetering?) that they were the best band of the festival so far, and I meant it! As much as I talk about the rock, indie, prog and folksy vibes that the city has to offer, it's hard to beat live jazz, and this seven piece band cranked it out with great ferocity. There were plenty of fast, upbeat numbers, but they also incorporated some slower tunes (such as a song dedicated to lead guitarist Ross Burns' Opa Ross), and even some sillier numbers (like a song called Jewish Dance Party that included some hilarious old man 'la, la, la's'). The set closer was another nice surprise as it was a song with an almost progressive fusion sound, not unlike something you would hear performed by Weather Report in the late 70's. It was the type of show where you didn't applaud for songs as much as you applauded the moments, whether it was an impressive run on the violin by Gina Burgess, a sweetly spastic blast on the trumpet by Matt Myer, or an impressive solo on the keys by Sageev Oore. It was the first show of the festival whereupon its completion, I was actually still a-hankerin' for some more, which says a lot for a band without any vocals. Even if you wouldn't necessarily listen to this type of thing at home, Gypsophilia's live show comes highly recommended.

Myspace: Gypsophilia
Download: Melostinato (Live @ CBC Radio's Studio H) mp3
Photos: My shots of Gypsophilia @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr

Next, I walked over to Silver Dollar to see and hear the velvety croon of Britain's Gemma Ray. I actually wanted to see her for awhile, since her vocals have the ability to pierce right through me as her albums boast a classic sound that is reminiscent of something that the wall of sound would've liked to get its hands on in the mid 60's. She's unique in her ability to craft a song that sounds delicate and sparse, yet larger than life at the same time. Unfortunately, it appeared that poor Gemma was battling a pretty intense cold, and she warned us that she really didn't know how much she was going to be able to do on this particular evening. (UPDATE: Turns out that the 'cold' was actually laryngitis, and she had to cancel her other CMF showcase.) Still, after thanking Air India for giving her a 'man' voice, she went on to play four blusier numbers that sounded magnificent, at least to my ears. Not to make light of her ailment, but the cold just made her sound all the more intoxicatingly sultry, which perfectly fit the vibe of the material that she was showcasing that night. In line with the fact that she's about to release a covers album entitled It's A Shame About Gemma Ray, she played covers of Etta James and Alex Harvey that sounded downright haunting as she even played the guitar on the second number using a massive kitchen knife, which probably would have freaked out anyone who happened to pop in without first gaining context, but for whatever reason, managed to put a smile on my face. She ended the night with a cover of Mudhoney's appropriately titled Touch Me I'm Sick, which in this incarnation bared very little resemblance to the original. She made the song downright spooky as she looped it and looped it in several vocal and guitar effects, culminating in a wash of feedback that incorporated chairs and stools toppling over, and microphones falling down until she left the stage to the sound of her husky vocals chanting "Touch me, I'm sick" over and over again through the monitors. Backwards. It was awesome.

Myspace: Gemma Ray
Photos: My pictures of Gemma Ray @ Silver Dollar are on flickr.

Next on the agenda was to pop over to the El Mo to try and catch Parlovr's set. Unfortunately they were opening for Handsome Furs, and at this point they were only letting in ticket holders. In other words: access denied! I foolishly didn't come with a backup plan, so I grabbed an issue of NOW, and quickly scanned to see what was going on in the general vicinity. The only venue boasting a band that I had never seen before was Bread & Circus, so I ran over there to check out a Montreal dance act called Les Handclaps. A couple of songs in and they really weren't doing it for me, so I just decided to go back to the Rancho and see Krupke, a band I love whom I had already seen earlier this year, and I knew would not disappoint. (Upon speaking to Joe from Mechanical Forest Sound on Saturday night. he made a pretty strong case for Les Handclaps, assuring me that they were actually great fun and I should probably give them a second chance. So, maybe next time then.)

There's not much that I can say about Krupke that I haven't said a few times this year already. I love 'em, but what I personally find amazing is that everybody else seems to love them too. They're very weird, but I've always liked weird, so this explains my enthusiasm. Generally speaking though, most people don't get weird, which is the very essence of weird, and is what makes weird weird. In theory, when a band like Krupke hits the stage, the result should be confusion, restlessness, and perhaps even a smattering of absolute hostility. But that doesn't happen. On the contrary, there's dancing, laughter, great enthusiasm and more dancing. Krupke has emerged from a bizarro world where weird is normal, and they've successfully managed to transform the worlds in which they perform to their same unique mindset. I don't know how they do it, but kudos to them.

Myspace: Krupke
Photos: My pictures of Krupke @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.

I ended my evening with Boats who are a band from Winnipeg who receive enormous amounts of praise everywhere they go. It's hard to deny their appeal, as strong songwriting and infectious melodies are what they do best, and it's pretty much impossible not to succumb to their perfect pop hooks. As expected, their live show took those strengths and celebrated them by performing a set of (mostly) new material that will be included on their upcoming album entitled Cannonballs Cannonballs, which will be released on May 1st. I've heard the band plenty of times, but prior to the show I still had yet to see them. When they started playing, I have to admit that the visual didn't fit the mental visual that was implanted in my mind, and it was a little bit jarring. Mat Klachefsky has an unusually high voice, and hearing that voice emanate from the mouth of this tall and daunting man with a massive scraggly beard took quite awhile for me to compute. I'm not usually that superficial, but it was hard for me to ignore at first. Still, it didn't change the fact that this band really is about as good as it gets in terms of musical prowess, and I really dug what they were doing up there. A popular quote describing the band is that they're like "Arcade Fire without the drama." While I understand the comparison, I personally found the band to be very dramatic onstage, shifting from the mellow to the hyper several times throughout, with Klachefsky's delivery being about as intense as it gets. The banter of course was quite subdued ("Here's a song called Chrome Eyelids. It's about chrome eyelids.") and I suppose that there wasn't a lot of drama in that, but musically I think that it's the dramatic flair that makes them so good.

Myspace: Boats
Download: TV Scientist mp3
Photos: My pictures of Boats @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr

By the end of their set, I was pretty tired and I also knew that I had to get up early the next morning, so I called it a night. Another satisfying one indeed. (With the exception of the stupid rain.)

Krupke @ Rancho Relaxo

It's quite rare that I enthuse about a band after only hearing a few songs, but there's something about Krupke that intrigues me. When I was a child, I used to take all of my favourite drinks and throw them into a blender expecting to invent a drink that couldn't help but be a veritable taste explosion. However, I think most children have tried this experiment at one time or another and we all know what happens: vomiting and the occasional trip to the doctor. Usually these sort of blends simply do not work. However, Krupke's bizarre combo of art rock, progressive jazz, show tunes, post-punk, the avant-garde and good old fashioned whimsy may be a shock to the system, but once the brain has adjusted, it becomes a musical celebration. I declared them to be one of the bands to watch for 2010, and it was only a matter of time before I availed myself to the opportunity to watch them assault a live stage. Thankfully, the (relatively) early end time of The Cribs show at The Phoenix last Friday night gave me the chance to do just that.

I arrived at Rancho just as they were setting up onstage, and the crowd was actually quite large, which means that their reputation is already starting to circulate somewhat. I suppose that it could also be that people like cheap drinks on a Friday night, but I'd like to believe that it's a little bit of both. The band wasted no time getting things going as they immediately blasted out a ramshackle blend of intense jams that included some harsh sounding violin playing and some highly disjointed spazzy xylophoning that sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. What is amazing about the sounds that emanate forth from Krupke is the fact that at times it may sound as if two separate bands are playing music at the same time with a wall inbetween them, but if you listen closely it becomes apparent that every single note, bweep and poot is actually carefully placed in such a way that a melody eventually forms in the brain, to the point that many people there (including the non-alcohol inspired patrons, like myself) were actually dancing to what would seem un-danceable under different circumstances. These are intensely complex arrangements indeed and one cannot help but be impressed. The fact that the lyrics, as well as Mike Walter's quirky delivery, remains relatively lighthearted, allows for humour to flow freely amidst the complexities. You also get a lot for your entertainment buck at a Krupke show. Some things worked well, such as a good old fashioned pinata smashing, ring-led by their new drummer Kate Pittman, while other things, not so much, such as a hyperactive microphone situation that accidentally clocked an audience member in the head. Still, overall the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely (including the mic in the head guy) and I wouldn't be surprised if the band continues to draw new fans with each performance. The possible directions that the band can take from here are endless, and it'll be great to see what type of journey they will continue to take their followers on before releasing a full length album, hopefully sometime this year.

Photos: My shots of Krupke @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: Krupke

Other stuff:
Last week I mentioned that Dinosaur Bones are taking advance orders for their new 7-inch vinyl single of Royalty backed with Ice Hotels over at the Hi Scores Recording Library website. Well, they've just released a pretty cool video for the song Ice Hotels as well, which can be seen here. [Myspace: Dinosaur Bones]

AfterpartY were recently interviewed on The Indie Rock Invasion Show and the video footage is up on their facebook page. AfterpartY play The Horseshoe on February 2nd. [Myspace: AfterpartY]

There's a few exciting announcements involving the amazing Optical Sounds label. First of all, Action Makes have recently been added to the Optical Sounds roster. They are playing The Silver Dollar on Friday January 22nd. Secondly, The Hoa Hoa's have released a video for the song Wasting Time from the album Pop/Drone/Pedals that is delightfully (and expectedly) trippy. And thirdly, The Disraelis will be playing The Silver Dollar on Saturday January 23rd. [Myspaces: Action Makes, The Hoa Hoa's, The Disraelis]

And finally, since I don't know if I'll be posting anything else this week, it should be noted that this Saturday January 23rd marks the very last show for locals Oh No Forest Fires. They are one of the most interesting and entertaining bands in the city and I'm distraught to see it all end, but I'm sure that we'll see the various members popping up in other bands around town. Still, if you're interested in checking this charismatic bunch out one last time, then the show is at The Horseshoe and entry is a measly $7. Also on the bill are The Darcy's, Songs From A Room and Arietta. This is going to be one hard rockin' night! [Myspaces: The Darcy's, Songs From A Room, Arietta, Oh No Forest Fires]

Toronto Bands To Watch in 2010

It's becoming increasingly more difficult to keep on top of all of the great new sites and blogs emerging throughout the city of Toronto and the surrounding area these days, much like the scene itself. Richard Trapunski is a writer for one of the good ones, a site called Resonancity. The site's mandate is to cover the Toronto music scene on a very local level, and from what I've read so far, it's doing an excellent job. The site has recently published its list of Toronto-area bands to chase for 2010 and Richard has asked several local music buffs (including myself) to contribute some their thoughts and choices. The final list was as diverse a list as I've ever seen, and it was good to see such variety. The final list of 20 acts was divided into three parts and they can be found here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

For my list, I decided to go beyond some of the more obvious choices in favour of some of the ones that are still hovering quite below the radar right now, but given the current musical climate here in the city, still have a good shot at breaking out in the year ahead. And here they are, in no particular order:

The Davey Parker Radio Sound (pictured above)

Thanks to The Hoa Hoa's and The Disraelis, the Toronto psych rock scene is finally starting to get some recognition, which means that this band from the right side of Parkdale should be raising a few eyebrows in the new year. Their live shows are apparently getting better and raunchier with every blast and the city seems to be poised and ready for their high octane, fuzzed out, bluesy guitar sound. [Myspace]

Hut

I'm sure that Daniel Lee's main project Hooded Fang, along with the all ages showcases that he provides as part of Daps Duo, is going to be keeping him plenty busy throughout the upcoming year, and I don't even know if this lo-fi side project of his is something that he's working hard to expand upon or not, but I do know that Hut continues to be recording new material, and hopefully that will translate into a full release with accompanying live shows because the city needs more cool post punk lo fi sounds. [Myspace]

Pick A Piper

Each show brings them closer and closer to being one of the most exciting bands in the city, eliciting a rapturous response every time. Their psychedelic percussive onslaught is just so intoxicating that they are sure to garner even more enthusiasm as they embark on an east coast tour in March. [Myspace]

Clothes Make The Man

I remember being seduced by CMTM's rocking blend of raw emotional energy and smooth musical ability all the way back in 2006 when I reviewed their debut album for the (now defunct) indie music project. After basically forgetting about them for a couple of years, I saw them again in '09 and was blown away by how much they had progressed. They have a new album poised and ready for release and from what I've heard, Ryan Mclennan's throat tearing rasp is sounding stronger than ever. [Myspace]

Krupke

Although they're still pretty new, Krupke is a band that continues to impress with every show that they perform. At first listen, they can be a bit jarring since they're so difficult to pigeonhole into any one category. But this is not a case of a bunch of amateurs banging on pots and pans and proclaiming it art. These are multi talented instrumentalists indeed, and I think that, although a bit of an adjustment period may be in order for the average listener, their ambitious nature may be just enough to win people over. [Myspace]

Jen Polk has recently posted her picks, and all of the expert lists, with full commentary, will be posted as a secondary article over at resonancity.com.

"She's coming after me, she's like a honeybee..."

Quick Blurbs about Friendly Rich, The Hoa-Hoa's & Krupke

Friendly Rich & The Lollipop People - Pictures At An Exhibition

To describe Friendly Rich Presents: Modest Mussgorsky's Pictures At An Exhibition as an eclectic piece of music is an incredible understatement. His personal reworking of the Russian composer's 1874 suite is as bizarre as it gets, sounding a little bit like the unique instrumental pairing of Frank Zappa and Pee Wee Herman. The project is ambitious for sure, but unlike Emerson Lake and Palmer's 1971 attempt at reworking this intense piece of music, Rich manages to draw out the whimsical elements hidden throughout the work, making this a surprisingly fun listen. His arrangement includes a who's who of guest musicians playing instruments as varied as the euphonium, harpsichord, penny whistle, harp and accordion, along with the standard drums, guitars and bass. The CD contains moments of solemnity (Bydlo), carnivalistic intensity (Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks) and beauty (The Great Gate of Kiev), as well as downright strangeness (Cum Mortis in Lingua Mortu) but it all works together in producing an interesting listen that is jarring yet enjoyable.

His live show has been known to include puppetry, cartoons, crank calls and more so if you're looking for something truly eclectic and new, you should attend the CD Release Party at The Tranzac on Saturday November 7th. The Hamilton Trading Company are opening.

Myspace: Friendly Rich
Video: Some bizarre footage of Friendly Rich @ Sneaky Dee's is on youtube.

The Hoa Hoa's - Pop/Drone/Pedals (early review!)

I've made no bones of the fact that dreamy psych-sters The Hoa Hoa's are one of the most underrated acts in the city, if not THE most underrated. I was going to sit on their P/D/P CD until it was officially released on December 1st but, like it's predecessor, it's one of those albums that you want everyone to listen to as soon as possible. Admittedly it doesn't deviate all that far from their debut in the sense that is still boasts a psychedelic fusion of shoegaze and 60's garage aesthetics, but I would say that the playing is a little bit tighter this time around, and the sounds are just a tad more varied. As the CD sweeps into the headphones, opening with a subtle guitar part, quickly accompanied by the steady shaker and a droney bassline, the percussion comes in with that unmistakenly thumpy early 90's Manchester beat, and The Hoa Hoa's once again blast off into the stratosphere with Postcards, which is a killer opening track. That momentum remains constant throughout the course of the album. There are moments of multi-layered shoegaze (Hey Joe, Wasting Time, Vinyl Ritchie), summer of love by way of Anton Newcombe cuts (Velocity (Downtown), Feels So Good Inside) and stunning occasions of mesmerizing beauty (Waves). The best song on the album to me is one that they've been apparently showcasing on the live stage for awhile now, called Grew Up On The Seeds, which is a tribute to the Sky Saxon led 60's garage band. It's notable to mention that the late Sky Saxon even joined them on stage for a live rendition of that song at this year's SXSW festival before his untimely passing on June 25th.

The underground psych-rock movement is noteworthy for many reasons, but the timeless nature of the quality music consistently put out by The Hoa Hoa's is certainly a major ingredient in this trippy sonic stew. The band will be celebrating the release of P/D/P on Optical Sounds at The Silver Dollar on December 4th. If you just can't wait till then, make sure you make it out to Rancho Relaxo tonight (Nov 6th) as they'll be sharing the stage with a whole slew of great psychedelic acts including Montreal's Postcards, Easy Targets and Volcano.

Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Video: New Years Eve Ball 2009 on youtube

Krupke - Slap Bracelet Release Party (November 13th)

Most of modern music these days can be lazily summed up into two basic categories: those that wholeheartedly pay homage to the past (which is what most bands do) and those that look forward to the future by creating something new. Now I realize that this statement is faulty in more ways than I care to articulate right now, but it seems to me that local band Krupke is at least putting forth a noble attempt at working towards the latter.

So far they've only put together a handful of songs (which can all be heard on their myspace page) but trying to lump these songs into a specific genre is not an easy task. The reason that I've chosen to promote them here so early on in their career is because their music is a perfect choice for those that like to be challenged when it comes to what is being fed to their musical palate. For example, their song Dirt and Culture starts out sounding like it's going to develop into a bit of a progressive jazz number, until the off-kilter vocal yelp kicks in, turning into a piece of music that is all over the place. The real surprise though is in the second half of the song where an actual melody starts to peek through and suddenly the very song that was initially impossible to follow is now actually stuck in my head. Weird. Waltz is a mellow number that is folksy yet slightly carnival-like in the sense that it tricks you into thinking that it's a relatively simple song until you really pay attention to its varied complexities. They also have a song called My Dearest Fergie, I'm So Sorry I Haven't Called But The Pony That You Always Wanted Died Today. Yah. With that song the band manages to cram an entire art rock tragi-comedy punk opera into a nifty little three and a half minute package which is exactly as daunting and delicious as you would imagine it to be.

Krupke is a band that demands a listener's full attention and admittedly, this may be a hard sell within the ADD driven world in which we live. Still, I think that if you're willing to put forth the effort, the payoff is worth it, and will continue to be even moreso as the band continues to solidify their sound. They don't yet have a CD to release, but they have released a limited edition personlized slap bracelet that they will be celebrating the release of on November 13th at Bread & Circus. Everyone who attends the show gets one. Opening for them are a few more of the city's finest, namely The Lovely Killbots, Ex~Po and B'mo Crazy.

Myspace: Krupke
Video: Krupke performing for minilogues on youtube