The 6ixty 8ights @ The Horseshoe

Last night was one of those nights. I was tired, it was cold, it was rainy, I was still sorta sick but there was no way I was going to miss seeing Amos The Transparent. They've recorded one of my favorite albums of the year and their show was sure to be nothing short of fantastic. However, given my current state I definitely wasn't going to be sticking around for Two Hours Traffic, despite the fact that they also were sure to be a fun time. Just wasn't completely in the concert mood last night, that's all. So, imagine my surprise when I got there to find out that the band setting up was The 6ixty 8ights, NOT the aforementioned Amos. What's going on?

Well, I still don't know exactly what went on, but for some reason the two bands switched time slots, which meant that I had missed seeing Amos The T. I was disappointed. I was cranky. I was quite livid actually. But I was there so I figured I might as well check out these guys who call themselves The 6ixty 8ights. They were actually very good and despite the fact that winning me over was not going to be particularly easy given my present condition, the band came pretty close. Their sound is obviously very steeped in the year 1968, or thereabouts, as they they play delicious pop and roll along the lines of The Kinks and Thrush Hermit. They're already quite popular amidst the local college scene, and their jingle jangle hooks are very easy to digest. Their live show is filled with exuberance and a lot of rock star swagger and, I hope that the next time I see them it will be after I have seen Amos already, and therefore the chip on my shoulder should be filled in nicely with the warm and fuzzy feelings that the 6ixty 8ights deserve.

Photos: The 6ixty 8ights @ The Horseshoe flickr
Myspace: The 6ixty 8ights
Video: Days Like Dreams @ The Silver Dollar youtube

The Scene @ The Mod Club

It should be a local indie venue rule that if you're a band who draws your influences heavily from bands like The Beatles, The (early) Stones, The Who, The Kinks or perhaps any newer sixties vibes like The Stone Roses, The Verve or Brian Jonestown Massacre, then you should be required to play The Mod Club. That is such an excellent venue for such a band. As you've probably noticed from the eight billion references I just dropped, The Scene is just such a band. I love their approach to creating music, choosing to work with a strong melody and sweet jangly guitars, as opposed to mock angst and Kroeger-esque screaming. Their songs worked very well in The Mod Club setting since the sound there is always impeccable and the light show adds a very neo-psychedelic ambiance to the show. Their original songs are incredibly strong, so much so that when they throw in an exceptional cover (namely 'She Said She Said' by The Beatles), it does not sound at all out of place. The band consists of Mark Chamberlain (drums), Brian McCarthy (bass), Matthew Crowley (Guitar, vocals), and Jason Wells (guitar). Their set was unfortunately very short, designed obviously to warm up the crowd before they enter into Saturday night clubbing mode. (I'm never in that mode, which is why I could have easily listened to another hour or so of The Scene. However, that's OK. I was feeling like an early night anyways.) The band is currently working at finishing their debut CD which I am beyond excited to hear.

The Scene are back in Toronto on November 17th at Neu+ral Lounge near Kensington Station. Don't miss it!

Photos: The Scene @ The Mod Club flickr
Download: Please mp3 / How Does It Feel mp3
Myspace: The Scene
Videos:
Paris (live on Junction 28) youtube
Don't Wait Too Long (live on Junction 28) youtube