Clouds (That Look Like Things) - Hat Factory EP

I've already reviewed the live show of local up and comers Clouds (That Look Like Things) a couple of times this year, but now it's time to throw up a few words about their unbelievable new EP entitled Hat Factory. The boys are incredibly proud of what they've accomplished here since it was done completely on their own, from the artwork to the recording and mixing of the CD. The album is as phenomenal as their live show is which, if I were being honest, is something that I was a little bit worried about. You don't know how many times I've left a show with a new CD in hand because the band blew me away, only to be disappointed by the time I popped it into my CD player. And when I briefly spoke to synth and violin player Owen Norquay after the last show, he spoke of the EP with such unbridled enthusiasm that the Willy Wonka in me felt terrible about possibly having to break little Charlie's heart. Well, needless to say, I wouldn't be sharing this little anecdote with you if a bad review was to follow, (and generally speaking, I don't waste a lot of time blogging about what I don't like,) and the band has every reason to be proud of what they've accomplished.

The EP opens with a brief atmospheric instrumental opener before lunging into the excitedly synth heavy rocker Stardust, which conjures up images of my 17 year old self at a house party, flailing my arms in the air to the latest Cure song. The following song Weekend feeds on that same vibe and should be added to every party playlist right next to You! Me! Dancing! by Los Campesinos! They get a little bit artsy fartsy (in a good way) with Catclysm, where vocalist Darcy Pease takes his menacing croon and makes it even more maniacal by running it through a series of crazy effects while Kayle Donner rocks a steady thumping drum sound to great effect. The best song in my opinion though, is the slow dance There She Goes, which is augmented by a truly unique sounding electric violin that enters and exits the proceedings at well calculated intervals throughout the song, creating a mood that is as chilling as it is intoxicating.

The Toronto music scene is on fire right now, and other bands are already getting the attention that they deserve, but I can't help but notice that Clouds (That Look Like Things) are still pretty unknown in comparison. Although it's cool to be one of the first to sing their praises, I'd like to believe that it's only a matter of time before all of the local bloggers are also caught up in the hype.

Myspace: Clouds (That Look Like Things)

Other stuff: Franz Ferdinand is hosting a little remix competition for a song called Ulysses, which is off of their upcoming album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, which is out January 27th. The twist is that the band isn't letting you hear the actual song, just different parts of it (i.e: the drum track, the vocal track, the bass track, etc.) so that "contestants will not be tainted by the direction and mood of the original version." It's kind of a neat idea. Contest rules and whatnot are at Beatportal. Oh, and their playing an intimate show at Lee's Palace December 4th. Tix are $25. [Myspace: Franz Ferdinand]

Believe it or not, there was a time when Genesis was the most interesting band on the planet, led by Peter Gabriel. This was before Phil Collins took over and decided that keeping things interesting and original just wasn't really what he was into. This week Rhino releases a 13 disc box set of reissues from the band, focusing on the very years that I'm talking about, that is, 1970-1975. If you dig The Decemberists, Radiohead, Animal Collective or Mystery Jets than do yourself a favour and check out this era of Genesis' musical output. [Myspace: Genesis]

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's new video for As Tall As Cliffs pokes a little fun at Dubya and what he is likely to be doing during his final days in office. It's up on youtube. [Myspace: Margot and the Nuclear So and So's]

The NuJazz Festival is taking place this week from November 13th to the 15th. The shows are being held mainly at The Revival, Supermarket and The Opera House. If I wasn't already so busy this week, I'd likely be checking it out since it's been a long time since I've seen me some live jazz. Dang, I love live jazz! [Myspace: NuJazz Festival]

CBC Radio 2 has just posted their list of the Greatest Canadian Guitar Players as chosen by their listeners and readers. No real surprises.

And finally, you remember that Bicycles Last Schmaltz show that I told you about? The one that was at Lee's Palace last Saturday night? The one that I couldn't go to? Well it sounded like it was the awesomest thing ever and I'm totally jealous of everone who was there. CBC Radio 3's Chris Kelly had a chat with lead singer Matt Becket about the show. [Myspace: The Bicycles]

Nuit Blanche 2008

I thought I'd stray from the topic of music just this once since I think my blog is just as much about Toronto as it is about the rock and/or roll. Last Saturday was the 3rd annual Scotiabank Nuit Blanche all night contemporary art festival, and as usual it was an opportunity for the city to display its community spirit and show us what it's made of.

Every year when the festival takes place, I'm left with a bit of a catch 22 since my circle of adventurous friends (who wants to come) seems to grow exponentially with each passing year. And as the group gets larger, the opportunity to see more things gets smaller. However, if I were to make a choice, friends always win out over art, and Nuit Blanche for me is an opportunity to hang out with some of the people that I don't get to see as often, as well as others that I see all the time. Like every year, we all met at the Red Room on Spadina at around 5:30pm so we could plan out our attack on the city.

This year became a game of Nuit Blanche Survivor as our group of 20+ eventually whittled away into the night, ending at 5:30am with only me, my wife and two of our good friends left fighting to stay awake. As expected we had a number of "what the?" moments, but we did see a few cool things. There was Michel de Broin's Overflow, which was a waterfall from a third story window, as well as the all night mascot dance-a-thon at Lamport Stadium. I was hoping to meet Yoko Ono at the Imagine Peace exhibit but apparently the rumours that she would be there proved to be just that: rumours. Probably my favourite exhibit was Tom Bendsten's Conversation #2 (pictured above) which was an elaborate colour coordinated fort made entirely of books. It was pretty cool. However, like I said, with such a big group, there were many things that I didn't get to see. We missed out on Fujiwara Takahiro's Into the Blue at the Eaton Centre, as well as the Stereoscope interactive light installation at City Hall. I also would've liked to see the recyclable plastic waterfall at the Ontario Power Generation Building. But ultimately bathroom breaks and filling our bizarre midnight culinary cravings had to take priority and I for one, am far from disappointed. Many people like to make fun of our fair city of Toronto, but personally I love it, and I'd take the opportunity to roam the streets with my friends into the wee hours of the night anytime, if the opportunity presented itself. Looking forward to next year...

My Photos: Nuit Blanche 2008
More photos of Nuit Blanche: Flickr Pool

More news:
Chairlift (whom I saw open for MGMT) are coming back in town to play The Horsehoe on October 25th and they're opening for Yeasayer. Tix are $13.50 adv; $15 at the door.

Myspace: Chairlift
Myspace: Yeasayer

Darren Gaines and the Key Party have put a track called Nightshade up on their myspace page. It's from their upcoming album called My Blacks Don't Match.

Myspace: Darren Gaines and the Key Party

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's have just released two new albums entitled Animal and Not Animal. They are both streaming in their entirety on Spinner.

Myspace: Margot and the Nuclear So and So's

That's all I got time for today, gotta run to work. Bye.

Margot and the Nuclear So And Sos w/ Ruby Coast @ The Horseshoe

Well it took a while, but Indianapolis band Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos finally made their way to Toronto and I, for one, am glad to have made it out to The Horseshoe on Wednesday night to check it out. My introduction to the band goes all the way back to 2005 or so when I was first getting all enthused about discovering new artists via the world of podcasts. Their song Quiet As A Mouse was being played all over the podosphere, and I found its combination of new wave pop sensibility and classic rock riffery to be right up my alley. Their 2006 full length release The Dust Of Release was a very solid disc, proving the band to be more along the lines of indie chamber pop and impressing many a year end list.

This was my first time seeing them, so I didn't really know what to expect, other than assuming that they would have a very full sound. Looks like I was right, as the 8 piece giant crowded the stage, with each member playing a very specific role. I was standing near the right side of the stage, which means that my view encompassed mainly Erik Kang on violin and lap steel, Hubert Glover on trumpet and Casey Tennis on percussion and apparently bizarre interpretive dance. The songs translated well to the stage, taking on a very progressive sound, as each song rose to a heightened, almost orchestral plateau. I was obviously unfamiliar with the newer songs since the new CD's (that's right, there'll be two of them) are not coming out till September, however, from what I can tell, they're sounding pretty good. Richard Edwards was a charismatic, yet subtle frontman, giving the crowd what they wanted to hear, while rarely giving them too much more than that. Admittedly, my mind started to wander a little bit towards the middle part of the show, but the band's enthusiasm reeled me back in towards the end.

Photos: Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
Download: Barfight Revolution (live) mp3


Opening for Margot, was a band that clearly knew little to nothing about them, our local boys: Ruby Coast. Just a suggestion, if you don't really know the name of the band that you're opening for, don't attempt to introduce them. Just kidding guys, I love ya.

The fact is, I really do. Love them, I mean. Ruby Coast's debut EP is one of my most played releases of the moment, and the fact that they're constantly compared to so many other bands out there, really doesn't do them any justice. They're still young, and understandably a little bit rough around the edges, but that doesn't change the fact that they're also incredibly talented and they manage to put on a pretty spectacular show. I couldn't help getting sucked in to their enthusiasm, and their youthful vigor really works in their favour, as they managed to get the crowd bounding around like a bunch of prepubescent tadpoles. They're the type of band that I imagine everybody wishes that they could be a part of, and there was one fan in particular that I feel should really try to stop auditioning for the job. Minor distractions aside, the songs that I knew sounded great, the ones that I didn't know, I felt like I knew, because they possess a certain familiarity about them. This doesn't mean that I think the band is already starting to repeat themselves. No, I feel that it means that they have a gift for creating a very catchy song, and it doesn't take long for such a song to burrow a hole into my brain. I look forward to their future releases and to seeing them perform again in the future.

Photos: Ruby Coast @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Ruby Coast
Download: Brittle Bones mp3