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.)

2009: The Local(ish) Rock Star Elite

Just over a year ago, I posted a cheesy US Magazine-styled list of the ten biggest rock stars in the city, and (relatively) surrounding area. It wasn't meant to be taken too seriously, since such a list would mean that I was excluding hundreds of other worthy contenders, since our city and (relatively) surrounding area is teeming with them. It was also kind of a spur of the moment thing that was initially intended to be sort of a one-off thing. But I've come to realize that people (especially rock stars) love to see themselves on lists. So I figured that I would do it again. Firstly though, a few explanations:

Although there are a few on last year's list that could have easily made the list again this year (Carleigh and Rajiv come to mind immediately), I figured that for the sake of variety I would do up these lists sort of 'Hall of Fame' style, which means that once you're in, you're in. Secondly, there is no scientifical explanation for anyone's inclusion other than you're the first ones that came to mind. I figured that with all of the local shows I attend, if you came to my head that quickly then you must've had an impact. And thirdly, just to keep things in perspective, these are all just the opinions of one man, that man being me. The Jennifer Polk's, Melody Lamb's and Lauren Schreiber's in the city see way more local talent than I do, and would likely be more qualified to make such a list but whatever. I'm having fun. So, without further ado, here's my list of the top ten local(ish) rock stars of the past year.

1. Branko Scekic

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario (well, initially Serbia but...)
Bands: Dinosaur Bones; Serb Superb
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Although my personal enthusiasm for Dinosaur Bones is a tad more reserved than many, I know a rock star when I see one, and brotha! Branko oozes rock star. He's like the bizarre alien spawn of Frank Zappa and Flavor Flav. Whether he's blasting bass with the Bones, spitting improvised rhymes as the animated Serb Superb, or simply bounding around the audience at someone else's show, he definitely makes his presence known and I have a feeling that every band secretly wishes he was in there's as well.

2. Cameron Jingles

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: The Disraelis
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
Some people are cool without even trying, and if you've ever caught a live show by The Disraelis, than you already know that Jingles (or Ingles depending on which source you read) isn't even interested in trying. He's our city's Lou Reed, and his rebel without a cause demeanor should be off-putting, but for whatever reason, it isn't. More like compelling.

3. Elise LeGrow

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: Whale Tooth; Elise LeGrow
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
She's a firecracker of energy when she performs, and the fact that she can keep that flawless voice of hers in tact while bounding around that stage with an almost unnatural animation, is what makes her the rare case of being a jazz singer that still rocks.

4. Jason Loftman

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Paint Movement
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
The Paint Movement is the type of band that works so well together as a team, that standing out in such a group is no small feat. But the moment in every show when Loftman wails a solo on that sax is consistently the evening's highlight as he solidifies the fact that this band is doing something that I'm hearing no other band do right now, local or otherwise.

5. Jacquie Neville

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario (now relocated to Toronto)
Bands: The Balconies; Jetplanes of Abraham (formerly)
What Makes Her A Rock Star:
Jacquie has a unique ability to completely own the stage with phenomenal poise and confidence while making sure that this self assured-ness never delves into arrogance and loss of control. I've seen performers on TV with twice the experience she has lose control of their vocals while getting drunk on their own inflated ego. Despite the amount of devotion that is thrown her way during a performance, Neville manages to avoid all of that while still having the audience eating out of her rock 'n roll hands.

6. Lee Brochu

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Hoa Hoa's
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
The rock star that plays the part 24/7 usually ends up burning out and/or fading away at the height of his/her success. The rock star with longevity however, lives more of a superhero lifestyle by being a mild mannered citizen by day, and a melt your face off rocker by night. This is what will likely allow supply teacher Mr. Brochu to fall into the latter category as the respected day job is undoubtedly what frees him up to whip a crowd into that psychedelic haze that he does at every show.

7. Paul Banwatt

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Bands: Rural Alberta Advantage; Woodhands, We're Scared
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
It has been consistently noted that the drummer is the backbone of the band. In other words, a bad band can have a great drummer and actually sound pretty good. In the case of the bands that Banwatt plays in, a great drummer can make an already great band sound absolutely earth shattering. Banwatt is currently my favourite drummer in the city (next to last year's #1 rock star on my list) and his ability to take a simple pop song and turn it into something epic (i.e. Don't Haunt This Place) is a rock 'n roll move that cannot be overstated.

8. Matt Bahen

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Band: The Schomberg Fair
What Makes Him A Rock Star:
This speed gospel renegade preaches with an electrified ukulele in hand and manages to convert every crowd member to his lyrical cowpunk methodology. The man is the most down-to-earth type of gentleman you'll ever meet offstage, but onstage, the dude is downright exhausting and with new opening slots for Ron Sexsmith and The Sadies on the horizon, I'm pretty sure that you'll be seeing his name on a few more lists by this time next year.

9. Yann Godbout

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Bands: Half Baked; The Sound of Sea Animals
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
It may be a risky move to include a guy whom I've only ever seen once, but the impression he made was very strong and according to some other reviews that I've seen, that one show was not a case of him simply having a particularly good night. The man pulls out every cheesy rock 'n roll cliché the book contains, from swirling windmills to down-on-your-knees Hendrix-isms to run-through-the-audience-like-a-madman jocularity. When it comes to rock 'n roll, originality may be an asset, but sometimes a tried and true cliché is just as much fun.

10. Brad Weber

Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario
Bands: Pick A Piper; Caribou.
What Makes Him a Rock Star:
Being a rock star is undoubtedly a lot of work, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who works harder on stage than Brad Weber. As soon as he hits the stage, he exudes a hypnotic mystique that cannot be forced nor faked and the second he joins his bandmates in that tribal percussive assault that PaP have been garnering great recognition for, you cannot help but forget about the cares of the day and succumb to his mysterious charm.

Last Year's Ten:
1. Robbie Butcher (Tin Bangs; Nights)
2. Jamie Greer (Golden Hands Before God)
3. Carleigh Aikins (Fox Jaws)
4. Dorian Wolf (Spiral Beach)
5. Patrick Krief (Black Diamond Bay; The Dears)
6. Wayne Petti (Cuff The Duke; Wayne Petti)
7. Rajiv Thavanathan (Oh No Forest Fires; Five Blank Pages)
8. Johnny Maldorer (Les Breastfeeders)
9. Sarah Smith (The Joys)
10. Lonely Vagabond (Maestro of Myspace)

My Top 10 Hottest Canadian Bands 2009

Well, it's that time of the year that every Canadian music blogger loves the most: I (Heart) Music's carefully calculated compiling of The Hottest Bands in Canada. Matthew is the head maestro of that high quality music blog from Ottawa and what he does is he asks several of the country's finest music aficionados (and me) for their personal picks of the 10 hottest bands in Canada. He then takes our respective lists and, using a team of highly respected scientists and mathematicians, puts together the final selections. I was flattered to once again be asked to contribute my thoughts.

The two points of criteria remained the same: the bands had to be Canadian and they had to have a particularly "hot" year. As far as how these rules were to be defined was left up to our own discretion. I decided that the first point meant that they had to be in Canada, but I took a slightly different approach to that second point this year. Last year, I basically went with hot = popular, which meant that I included a couple of acts that were not necessarily my cup of meat, but included because they were everybody else's. This year I decided, screw that. I'm an opinionated music blogger and therefore I made the list a little bit more bob-centric. But fair.

This meant that I didn't include the bands I don't like, even if everyone else does (see Gentlemen Reg, Chad VanGaalen) and I also excluded the ones that I sorta like but find incredibly overrated (see Metric, Joel Plaskett, Still Life Still.) There are also the choices that were originally on my list but I opted to leave off in the end since I had a good feeling that they would ultimately make the list just fine without my help (see Great Lake Swimmers, Coeur de Pirate.) This allowed me to give that extra nudge to the not-so-sure-they'll-make-it-without-my-vote bands on my list. (By and large, that didn't work.) Finally, by definition, a band's hotness factor is, of course, not all about me, which means that the band needed to have a measure of significant buzz this year that made them stand out, which means that I also had to leave out a couple of my own personal favourites too, as much as it hurt my feelings to do so (see Fox Jaws, Amos The Transparent.) The only exception to this rule was my number 10 pick, whom I knew would likely not make the list, but I thought that I had a pretty strong argument for their inclusion so there you go.

Which brings us to my personal ten selections. Only a select few made the final cut, but this was a pretty difficult year for limiting the choices to only ten, since the level of quality this year was immense. And here they are:

1. Rural Alberta Advantage- Having reaped praise from just about every noteworthy music source over the last year, both here and south of the border, culminating in the support of the mighty Saddle Creek label, the RAA are now mere steps away from being a household name. Very impressive (although I'm still struggling to believe that Stephen Harper honestly listens to their music.) [Myspace]

2. The Balconies - Their debut album encapsulates a brave form of ambition that most bands save up for their third of fourth album. This means that, in theory, their third or fourth album is going to be the greatest thing ever. [Myspace]

3. Bruce Peninsula - Successfully duplicating a live performance that is amongst the most uplifting anywhere onto a studio recording is no small task, but Bruce Peninsula have done so with ease. [Myspace]

4. Wilderness of Manitoba - Folk bands are a dime a dozen these days, but this band's hotness factor lies in their ability to make a semi-tired genre sound fresh and beautiful again. [Myspace]

5. Ohbijou - Beacons is a reminder that even though life in the city can get pretty ugly at times, there is always an inner beauty to be discovered and exposed. [Myspace]

6. Zeus – They’ve made classic rock cool again. And, most impressively, by covering Genesis’ That’s All, they’ve made Phil Collins (semi) cool again. For these reasons, along with the fact that they're ridiculously good, they definitely get my pick for hottest new Arts and Crafts signing. [Myspace]

7. Whale Tooth – I’ve said it before, but in an indie world that tends to take itself too seriously at times, it’s refreshing to have a band like Whale Tooth around to remind us to have some fun. [Myspace]

8. Green Go – Finally, a dance band with a sound that is both organic and honest. [Myspace]

9. The Paint Movement – Not only have they released what, in my opinion, is the most captivating local release of the year, but they’ve done so with a brass rock comeback that, unbeknownst to most of us, was desperately needed. [Myspace]

10. The Hoa Hoa’s – They may not be hot in the sense that everybody has heard of them, but within the massively overlooked Canadian psych-rock scene, they are the saviors of aural experimentation, simultaneously urging us to gaze at our shoes while floating into a sonic high. Reaping praise from psych legend, the late Sky Saxon, is no small feat either. [Myspace]

[RAA photo above by Patrick Leduc]

"I'm gonna dance my face off tonight..."

Reviews of Fox Jaws, The Balconies and Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves

There's a strong possibility that you're thinking: more CD reviews?!?! What about the usual concert reviews? Hasn't this guy been to any shows lately? Well the answer to that question is: yes I have, and I'll hopefully be posting some reviews of those shows next week. But for now, I've got a few more CD's I want to tell you about before I take off to the cottage for the weekend. Correction: I've got a few more GREAT CD's that I want to tell you about before I take off to the cottage for the weekend.

Fox Jaws - At Odds (or Exercises In Separation While United In The Fall)

I've made no secret of the fact that Barrie's Fox Jaws are one of my favourite bands. Their 2007 debut Goodbye Doris is one of my most listened to albums of the decade, and their recent signing with Nevado Records had me filled with great expectations. As soon as the album opens with Migrating Deer, my first expectation is immediately filled as the production quality is significantly cleaner, although they admirably stay away from placing too much sheen on their sound, which would have been inappropriate to the band's affable rawness. Throughout the course of the album's 50 minute length, the band shows their willingness to keep things progressively expanding as they avoid committing the all too familiar sophomore repeat. At Odds is a mildly experimental album that shuffles across a few different styles, although that magic coupling of pop sensibility and Carleigh Aikins' wicked awesome voice remains at the album's core. One of the most noticeable changes made on this album is the fact that the vocals are split equally between Carleigh and Daniel Allen. This creates another level of sound that revels due to the fact that their voices contain an incredible uniqueness that makes them stand apart from others. There are still some solid high energy rock songs like Youth Dance and Home and Native, the latter of which contains the most effective laughing chorus since Morrissey's We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successfull. There are some epic moments like Drinking Fountains and album closer The Enabler which makes good use of the build-up effect. But it's those experimental pieces that really impress, like Ahab's Ghost and I Am An Army, where the combination of distorted vocals, massive guitar sounds and intense drumming makes for a sonic experience that bears repeating. They even manage to accomplish the impossible with Himmelfarb by creating what I would describe as an experimental pop song that you can totally dance to.

With At Odds, Fox Jaws have created another masterpiece that has managed to keep the band in my personal faves list for another couple of years at least. If they continue to expand their musical palate the way that they have this time around, they'll likely grow to be one of my favourite acts ever.

Fox Jaws are celebrating their CD release party TONIGHT at the El Mocambo with Major Grange and Rival Boys.

Photo by Jenny Charlton
Myspace: Fox Jaws
Download: Ahab's Ghost mp3


The Balconies - The Balconies (early review!)

Sometimes I get mixed up between the albums that I've received early and the albums that are already released to the public. It was only halfway through my preparation of this review that I realized that the self titled debut by Ottawa's The Balconies is not to be released until September. I contemplated holding off this review until then, but ultimately I decided screw it, I'm here already. And quite frankly, it's going to be hard to contain my enthusiasm until it's official release due to the fact that this is one stellar album.

The Balconies straddle a line of influence that encapsulates so many different musical areas that it's hard to even know where to start. At times, the jangly guitar is straight out of the sixites songbook as a subtle amalgamation of garage rock and beach party swagger. Other times I hear the serious influence of 70's and 80's new wave, as if David Byrne, Ian Curtis or even Fred Schneider were in the room with them, coaching them along. And other times the album boasts a loudness that should be pleasantly embraced by fans of Pavement or Sonic Youth. What's interesting is that when all of these influences are smooshed together into one cool package, it ends up sounding like something wholly original. The album opens with an incredible foot stomper entitled Lulu, which has Steve Neville's voice at it's most mischievous; a sound that grows more interesting throughout the course of the album. Jacquie Neville's voice is introduced on the next track 300 Pieces, and that voice, along with the song's arrangement is a perfect example of the band's originality and refusal to be pigeonholed into one specific sound. It's cool when a band mixes it up throughout the course of an album; it's even cooler when they can do it within the structure of a single song. This also says a lot about the talents of drummer Liam Jaeger, since he manages to keep everything together with his calculated style. The band is capable of keeping things relatively simple when they want to, as is showcased in straight forward rock numbers like Smells Like Secrets and Skinny Dipper. They can also get downright haunting on surreal cuts like Hollow Bones and The Slo (which is probably my favourite song on the album.)

Like my review, the buzz has already started early on this outstanding Ottawa three piece, and you can bet that once the album is officially released, people's enthusiasm will continue to build. Having witnessed the band live a couple of times as well, I think that it's safe to say that this is no mere fluke. The Balconies are one amazing band.

The Balconies self titled debut will be released officially on September 15th. The will be playing The Horseshoe on Aug 26th, the TARA Secret Session at The Audio Recording Academy on Aug 29th, and they're at Lee's Palace on Sept 25th.

Photo by Ben Welland
Myspace: The Balconies
Download: Lulu mp3


Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves - Frost Heaves

There is something very refreshing about the debut release by Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves. It's becoming increasingly rare in the circles of indie rock to hear an artist whose lyrics are obviously the work of a well read and intelligent individual, while still maintaining a simplicity that keeps the artist from coming across as an arrogant jerk. Daniel Hales manages to accomplish this amazing feat with ease, as Frost Heaves is a warm, endearing album that is smart, yet free from all pretentiousness. The first couple of songs, entitled Bridges Freeze First and Distance From Mars are well produced slices of rootsy folk, boasting traces of Neil Young and The Skydiggers. They're decent songs but they really serve as a simple starting point to the rest of the album. The album really shifts into high gear with the psychedelia of Loose Thread, where the slight twang of Hales' voice is still in tact, but when enshrouded in the midst of swirling guitars and trippy percussion, it comes across as something totally different. Shepherd Of Lost Shopping Carts is a breezier number with a dreamy psych pop sound that is nothing short of intoxicating. Other highlights are the straight ahead REM rocker Wrong Meter, the crazy psychobilly romp of Questions For A Carjacker and the truly epic ambiance of Discontinued Road. The title track is easily the most eclectic track on the album, as it meanders on with a psychedelic glow that would be an odd ending to the album if it wasn't followed by a simple acoustic bonus track entitled Walking Home, which wraps up the entire Frost Heaves package nicely.

Frost Heaves is the type of album that is perfect for this time of year, with our all too short Canadian summer winding down to an unfortunate close. With each listen, the album grows more and more reflective, striking a perfect balance between moments of quiet meditation and tripped out mind expansion, creating a sound that is difficult to pigeonhole, yet easy to digest.

Myspace: Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves
Download: Shepherd Of Lost Shopping Carts mp3

NXNE 2009 Day 1 featuring Spiral Beach, Amos The Transparent, The Love Machine, The Balconies, Pirate Love & Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

This year's NXNE festival was going to have to be more about quality than quantity. Here's the deal: I was out of town during the day which means that there is no way to catch any of the daytime shows. Also, since complete alertness was going to be required of me, I would also have to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Yes, this is the old man's version of the summer festival, but this only meant that being all random about my selections was not an option. I had to choose wisely within those specified boundaries. And, for the most part, I think that I did.

I began my day at Yonge and Dundas Square where the fact that the events to follow were clearly being presented by myspace became painfully obvious when the world's cheesiest MC took to the stage and proceeded to say some pretty embarrassing things. Besides playing the lame card with comments like, "we're so wild the police are going to have to shut us down tonight," he then proceeded to commit a major faux pas by comparing Spiral Beach to the Jonas Brothers. The crowd booed, the band gave each other the "what the?" look and the guy tried to save himself with some sort of "but these guys are way cooler" sort of comment. Anyway, you put that aside and the Beach once again reminded me as to why I love them so much.

It's strange but I never think of Spiral Beach as one of those spectacular bands that I must recommend to everybody, yet every time I see them, I leave in a state of complete elation. To simply refer to them as fun does not give them nearly enough credit. They portray themselves with this campy aire of mystery that makes every performance an odd slice of unforced theater, as much as it is just a great rock show. Guitarist Airick Woodhead was particularly amusing as he knocked over his microphone and accidentally unplugged his guitar and fell to the ground on several occasions in a way that was mildly rock star but mostly just hilariously clumsy. The band is hypnotic in the way that you can't take our eyes off of them, and their music is contagious in the way that you just gotta dance when you're there. This is my third time seeing them, but I just want to go out and see them again. Right now.

Photos: My shots of Spiral Beach @ Yonge & Dundas Square are on flickr
Myspace: Spiral Beach
Download: Made Of Stone mp3


I then headed up the street to Sunrise Records to see Amos The Transparent. I know, I know, there's so much going on in the city that the idea of seeing a band that I've seen a billion times this year already may seem a little bit stalker-ish, but the novelty of seeing them in a stripped down and controlled atmosphere was too intriguing to pass up. The fact is that the last few times that I saw them here in the city, they have put on such a powerhouse show that I couldn't imagine that they still had the ability to quiet down and show a little self control if the atmosphere required it. Well, this was an atmosphere that definitely required it since the place was small and the audience was even smaller. Still, their ultimate strength has always been in the songs themselves and they sounded absolutely beautiful. It was funny to watch them try to pull in the reigns at those moments when they would normally belt it out (such as the "figure it out! figure it out!" part of the song Stale Scent Of Old Beer), but overall the performance was all kinds of enjoyable.

Photos: My shots of Amos the Transparent @ Sunrise Records are on flickr.
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Download: Lemons (aka Big Fish, Little Pond) mp3


After that, I hopped on the Queen streetcar from hell towards The Drake Underground to catch part of the i (heart) music showcase. It was bad enough that the car was delayed by some sort of track and field type of situation, but we were unfortunately subjected to the whimsical nature of our driver, who started out kind of funny but was sort of irritating me by the end of the ride. The delays made me late for the first act on the bill.

The Love Machine are a band from Ottawa that served as the replacement for The Urban Aesthetics, who just broke up recently. I didn't know very much about them going in, but from what I sampled on their myspace page, they sounded like a solid mix of classic indie rock and radio friendly shout-along anthems. The three songs that I heard that night seemed to follow that pattern well and they did a good job at keeping the crowd in rapt attention from start to finish. The group also displayed a boundless amount of energy that kept their live show anchored in high intensity performances. Although their recorded material is really just a simple display of large choruses coupled with infectious power pop hookery, the band really does make their sense of energy work for them in concert, proving that, sometimes, gimmicks are really unnecessary when a band has the ability to let a simple melody do the talking.

Photos: My shots of The Love Machine @ Drake Underground are on flickr
Myspace: The Love Machine
Download: A Little Cursive In All Of Us mp3


The Balconies blew my mind when I saw them at The Horseshoe just a couple of months ago. This is why I was eager to see them again when they were back in town last week. They've got all of my favourite ingredients: really tight musicianship, a cuter than cute lead singer, a charismatic stage presence, and a sound influenced by elements of all of the great sounds of the past, including (but not limited to) 60's garage rock, 70's post punk and 80's new wave. I really appreciated that schizophrenic sense of variety that pervaded throughout their entire set. The band is not too shy to sandwich a highly atmospheric track inbetween a couple of in-yer-face rockers. The chemistry between Jacquie Neville's surf-jangle guitar style, Steve Neville's boundary stretching vocals and Liam Jaeger's calculated drumming has to be witnessed to be believed.

Photos: My shots of The Balconies @ Drake Underground are on flickr
Myspace: The Balconies
Download: Elephant Lamp mp3

Originally, I had considered just sticking around for the rest of the bill at The Drake since it was pretty amazing, but it was basically compiled of artists that play around the city all of the time and if I could only catch a select number of artists at this festival, than I really should see a few of the out of towners. Thankfully, the streetcars moving from The Drake to the El Mocambo were significantly better than the one that I sat on earlier, and I made it to my next show in record time.

Pirate Love is a band from Norway that was described in their bio as "a refreshing blend of garage, punk, rockabilly and goth" which basically could be alternately translated as "a sonic stew of everything Bob loves." OK, not a huge goth fan but still, I went into this one pretty sure that I would find something enjoyable about their sound. As they started off, I have to admit that I found their particular brand of arrogance to be a bit off-putting. I think a measure of tongue in cheek arrogance can be very entertaining at a rock show and I think most of my favourite artists display that well but when this is done without any sense of irony, it just makes a guy look like a tool. Well, lead vocalist David Al Dajani definitely seemed a bit too tool-like for my tastes as the first couple of songs wizzed by. However, there's an old saying that rock n' roll always wins in the end and each song on the bill just seemed to get better and better, to the point where I found myself really digging what they were doing. The vocals were shredding, while the guitar playing was raw and incendiary. There was also a primal quality to their sound that I couldn't help but surrender to and by the time their set was finished, their psychedelic assault had completely won me over. Good stuff indeed.

Photos: My shots of Pirate Love @ El Mocambo are on flickr.
Myspace: Pirate Love
Download: Laughing Gas mp3


After all is said and done, how could you possibly justify not seeing a band named Natalie Portman's Shaved Head? Many of my friends think that name is awesomely hilarious; I think it's ridiculously bad; but either way it is completely curiosity inducing and I just had to see what these guys are all about.

NPSH is from Seattle, which is an area that is usually synonymous with the grunge movement, but grunge this band is not. These guys specialize in a sweaty, funky electronic sound that is obviously designed to destroy your local dancefloor. According to their wikipedia page, Luke Smith and Shaun Libman formed the band to meet girls, and from what I could tell by the gaggle of young ladies staring longingly at the geeky kids on stage, mission accomplished. The band was all about energy and I can't remember the last time that I'd seen a band so energetic. I have seriously never witnessed the build up of sweat that was gushing from the pores of the eclectic creatures that were bounding across that stage. In fact, next to these guys, Spiral Beach was a silent movie. In other words, the band may lack the depth and originality of other similar bands, but if you just want to dance, party and be sweat upon, it would be hard to get any better than these guys.

I left after their set, but I'll bet that You Say Party, We Say Die and Green Go served as an excellent follow up to Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. I just hope that the kids kept themselves hydrated because I'm sure the sweat loss may have broken some records that night. If they compile records on that sort of thing. Which they probably don't.

Photos: My shots of Natalie Portman's Shaved Head are on flickr.
Myspace: Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
Download: Me and Yr Daughter mp3

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

Arietta - Migration

Toronto band Arietta reminds me of many of the indie rock bands that I listened to back when I first started listening to indie rock. Their music boasts a cry of immediacy, a punkish alt-rock punch that moves and shakes with a high-strung longing that, when left in more juvenile hands, is accompanied by a snotty nosed false arrogance. But you'll notice that their name is not followed by a dash 182 or any other trivial number. No, taking a cue from more noble acts such as Minus The Bear, Moneen and even the local boys in Oh No Forest Fires, Arietta incorporates an aire of sophistication to their music that allows for a meeting of generational minds. In other words, it's angsty music for the more sophisticated listener.

The songs on their new release Migrations, are impeccably crafted and although they do display a measure of mathiness, they are not in any way grandiloquent. (OK, I used a thesaurus, but that is a cool word 'eh? It means pretentious.) When someone punches you in the face, the contact of knuckle to face always feels the same way, whether it was carefully thought out or a move out of instinct. That's the best way that I can describe Arietta's sound. If all you want is to rock out, then this album will definitely do it for you. But if you need something a little bit meatier, this album provides that also. For example, the song Northearned shifts from frantic to subtle with an endearing complexity that is eccentric for sure, but still very easy to follow. Another example of this is a song entitled It's An Uphill Battle And It's All Downhill From Here which starts very nice and melodic before easing into a more agressive segue with a stop-start instrumental break that precedes a poppy chorus that leads to a slightly rootsier moment that includes slide guitar. And this is all within a four minute song which means that there's no time to get bored or confused by it all. Although the songs themselves are very good, some of them great, I have to admit that my favourite moments are the brief instrumental snippets that flow inbetween the songs. These are the spaces that, for me, add a sonically pleasing uniformity to the entire album. They also act as a great way to occupy the mind before the next song inevitably attacks you.

Arietta are playing a CD release show at The Horseshoe on Thursday May 7th with special guests Cancel Winter and The Junction. The evening is also being hosted by the bizarre and magical Serb Superb.

Photo taken by Emma-Lee
Myspace: Arietta
Download: Into The Deep mp3

Other Stuff:
Magnet Magazine's Over/Under feature delves into the most overrated and underrated songs by The Clash. While I would agree that Rock The Casbah is definitely overrated, they failed to mention White Riot in the underrated category. Best. Punk. Song. Ever. [Myspace: The Clash]

Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart have new video out for the song Young Adult Friction. It is being streamed over at Chart. [Myspace: Pains Of Being Pure At Heart]

The Maccabees have just released their latest album called Wall Of arms. Tailor made for fans of Hot Hot Heat and The Futureheads, the whole thing is streaming in its entirety over at Drowned In Sound. [Myspace: The Maccabees]

[Via Chromewaves] Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes are going to be playing Massey Hall on August 28th. His most recent foray into country is entitled Secret, Profane and Sugarcane and it's is to be relased on June 2nd. [Myspace: Elvis Costello]

That's it for today since I'm literally running off to The Horseshoe right now to see The Balconies. Laterz.