Canadian Music Fest 2010: Day Four

featuring The Brother Kite, The Hoa Hoa's, Black Feelings and Action Makes

Because of my little brain fart on Friday night, my much talked about in-store with Dan Mangan and company wasn't going to happen, which meant that I'll just have to be a little bit more on top of things the next time he comes around, which I'm sure will be relatively soon enough (April 22nd at The Horseshoe, to be exact). This meant that instead of being in a dry record store at 6pm, I was standing in line, in the miserable rain, at The Phoenix, waiting to get in to the Joanna Newsom show, which was not part of CMF, and which I'll be telling you about later.

Fast forward to about 9:30 or so, and I was aboard the College streetcar, on my way to Rancho Relaxo to see a band that has been touted by some very respectable sources, but still virtually unknown to me.

The Brother Kite is a band from Rhode Island, that plays some of the most perfect pop music I've ever heard. I've noticed that they often get lumped into a shoegaze category, and I suppose that I heard traces of that in some of the heavier numbers, but to my ears they seemed to have a much cleaner and more structured sound than that pigeonhole would imply. Some of the more obvious references would perhaps be The Beach Boys or Teenage Fanclub, in other words, a style chock full of powerful melodies and larger than life choruses. They played a number of songs from an upcoming album that will be called Isolation, and I gotta tell ya, as each song seemed to be more and more perfect than the one before, it really made me wonder how a band this accessible has managed to bypass the notice of so many. Even now, I'm listening to the songs on their myspace page and their obscurity strikes me as one of the most puzzling things in the world of indie pop today. Of all the bands that I'd seen at this year's festival, The Brother Kite is the one that I plan on familiarizing myself with the most. First step: buy all of their albums. Second: listen to them with great repetition. Third step: dance. And fourth step: gush about them regularly to all of my friends.

Myspace: The Brother Kite
Photos: My pics of The Brother Kite @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.

At the end of the show, Frank asked me where I was heading next, and when I said The Comfort Zone, he replied by saying "no, really, where are you heading next?" When Mike, with a twinge of mischief in his voice, recommended that I make sure to use the bathrooms when I get there, I have to admit that mentally I was preparing myself for the fact that I may want to have a backup plan in case the venue's reputation for being less than germaphobe-friendly was accurate.

When I arrived at the darkly lit watering hole beneath The Silver Dollar, I have to say that the fact that I was anticipating something much worse actually made the place seem not all that bad to me. Sure, I could see where the others were coming from, and I don't even want to know what that thin layer of sticky was on the floor, but overall it was a spacious little venue with a decent sized stage and lots of room to move around. And anyway, I wasn't there for the venue, but I was there to see my personal festival sure thing, the always fantastic Hoa Hoa's.

The Hoa Hoa's were my one exception to the "never seen them before" premise that I was more or less sticking to this week. They are easily my favourite live band in the city, not only because of the infectious grooves that their shows consistently put out, but also because of the fact that they have a live show that feels like no one else's, without relying heavily on contrived gimmickry. Sure, they often come equipped with a cool psychedelic light machine, but if you're familiar with their music, this is something that simply enhances their performance, as opposed to distracting from it. As usual, the band was in fine form on Saturday night, creating the 60's party atmosphere that has become synonymous with their show. Now that having been said, they were dealing with some pretty shoddy sound issues that muffled the sounds of the bass and significantly drowned out much of the vocals. It really took about three or four songs before I could ignore that and just enjoy the performance, so I can imagine how that may have felt for those who were unfamiliar with them. This showcase may not have been the best way to introduce yourself to their music, but for all of the established fans, this was yet another remarkable performance. And Blue Acid Gumball is the best set closing song ever!

Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Photos: The Hoa Hoa's @ The Comfort Zone on flickr

Because I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss the last band on the bill, I stuck around for the act immediately following The Hoa Hoa's, which were a band from Montreal called Black Feelings. They're the type of band that makes my attempt at descriptive journalism very difficult because I honestly don't even know how to begin describing their sound. Inventing a genre can't be easy, but these guys come pretty close to doing so with their sonic assault of high octane drumming, and tumultuous background vocals. In fact, it almost sounds as if for some of their songs, they took out any lead vocals that may have been there, and deliberately left in the instrumentation and backing vox, creating something that is deliberately raw and atmospheric, a soundscape of colliding guitar and bass riffs that are obviously steeped in psychedelia, but nicely amalgamated with something almost reminiscent of Germany's Krautrock music scene. This is some pretty challenging stuff for sure, but ultimately rewarding, as the band left me wanting more. If you're in the mood to expand your musical palate, then I definitely recommend checking them out when they play with Awesome Color at The Garrison on April 7th.

Myspace: Black Feelings
Photos: My pics of Black Feelings @ The Comfort Zone are on flickr.

Action Makes, one of the newest additions to the Optical Sounds roster, was the last band of the evening, and I don't know if it's possible to find a more engaging end-of-the-night band. This is garage rock at it's finest, full of rock 'n roll riffs and 60's party vibes that gets a crowd dancing in ways that I had only ever seen in old psychedelic 60's counter culture B-movies. The show was full of attitude, swagger and relentless urgency, as the band blasted through a set that did not slow down for a second. It became obvious rather quickly that many audience members wanted to engage in the fun that was being had onstage, as the rabid dancing moved progressively closer to the front so that, after I was able to get a few decent pictures, I slowly inched my way back and allowed them to have the floor. Truth be told, the way some of these people were dancing was just as entertaining to me as the performance itself. There was one guy in particular...man, I'm at a loss for words. If you were there than you know what I mean. (Here's some video, courtesy of  Thee Untold City that doesn't show nearly enough of crazy dancing guy as I would have liked, making a brief appearance at the 1 minute mark, and then again at 1:29,  but at least it gives you a bit of an idea. Haha! Awesome!) The show ended with the drummer leaping over his kit to tackle the lead guitarist and vocalist, in a display of crashing instruments and wild stage antics that reminded me of The Who circa 1967. Amazing!

Myspace: Action Makes
Photos: My pictures of Action Makes @ The Comfort Zone are on flickr

And so ends this year's Canadian Music Fest, which I'd have to say was probably my most successful one so far in the sense that I enjoyed almost every single performance and was introduced to a lot of new music in the process. Definitely some good times that should tie me over for the next little while at least. Other than Thrush Hermit next Friday, and The xx on April 4th, I'll be mostly hibernating for the next couple of months or so, allowing me to rest up before doing it all again at NXNE in June.

2009: The Shows

Every year I say that I'm going to tone down the amount of shows that I go to, and every year I end up seeing more than the year before. This year's final tally sits at 143 different artists to have graced the live stage in my presence, including three more than I still haven't gotten around to reviewing but I will. Eventually. Of course, I have friends that have probably seen that amount in a weekend but for an old married guy, I'd say that's still a pretty obscene number.

Overall though, this year has been a fabulous concert going experience, with my top three shows being amongst the best shows I've ever attended in all of my 20+ years of concert going. So, here are my top 10. This week I've been feeling a bit of the overwhelmed blogger meh's, so I'm going to make life easier by simply plagiarizing my own words from prior reviews but hey, so it goes. If it's good enough for For The Records, than it's good enough for me. I'm deliberately choosing the expressions that are laced in my usual penchant for blatant hyperbole.

1. The Decemberists @ Kool Haus on August 3rd (Review)

"When I'm an old(er) man and reflecting back on all of my concert going experiences, I'm pretty positive that the Short Fazed Novel Tour of 2009 will be one of those shows that I'll be referring to often. A Decemberists show goes beyond simply being another concert; a Decemberists show is an event."

2. Wilco @ Massey Hall on October 14th (Review)

"I would have to say that my favourite part of the evening though was during the encore when they came very close to displaying a slightly different version of the magic Being There moment of my previous experience when they played Monday and Outtasite (Outta Mind) from that album, only to follow it up with Hoodoo Voodoo from Mermaid Avenue. Classic!"

3. Sonic Youth @ Massey Hall on June 30th (Review)

"...their youthful energy allowed me to ride that time capsule into my past and enjoy this show, not as just another concert, but as a significant event."

4. The Hoa Hoa's / Your 33 Black Angels / The Disraelis @ Silver Dollar on December 4th (Review)

"You'll have to pardon the hyperbole, but this show was life altering!"

5. Tom Fun Orchestra / Bruce Peninsula / The Darcy's @ The Horseshoe on January 31st (Review)

"The second encore showcased the band playing the snot out of all of their respective instruments and jumping around the stage, falling all over each other and generally creating merry chaos all over that Horseshoe stage."

6. Roky Erickson / The Sadies @ Lee's Palace on October 28th (Review)

"I think it was expressed most eloquently by a friend of mine, who was also there, when he described the image of Roky with his back to us playing guitar, fan blowing his silver-ish hair like he was on a beach in psychedelic garage heaven as completely blissful. Nicely put."

7. The Sonics @ Yonge and Dundas Square on June 20th (Review)

"I was standing with a couple of people who were obviously there for The Sonics the first time around, but when I turned around to look at the crowd, I was amazed at the fact that, by and large, most of them were the same age as the people who usually go to the shows that I attend. Appreciation for musical heritage is very important to me, so it was great to see all of these young 'uns jumping around like crazy, almost as if they were at a White Stripes concert."

8. Holler, Wild Rose @ The Boat on March 15th (Review)

"I love that feeling when you're watching a band and suddenly you realize that you are actually in the midst of greatness. That moment for me came when they performed Captive Train. The harmonies were absolutely cherubic on that song, and the steady build of those ringing guitars continued to climb to euphoric heights before Jon Mosloskie's high pitched Buckley-inspired throat tore a strip out of the atmosphere and made me completely forget where I was."

9. Gary Louris and Mark Olson @ The Mod Club on February 4th (Review)

"These days my attention span isn't what it used to be, so to be able to command my attention for an hour and a half with an acoustic set is no ordinary task. But of course, Gary Louris and Mark Olson are no ordinary performers and this was certainly one for the concert memory books."

10. Joe Pernice @ Dakota Tavern on September 24th (Review)

"By the time he finished, we had been treated to almost two hours of material, many of which were obscurities from his career which made for a very special night."

Honorable Mentions:

• Modernboys Moderngirls / Fox Jaws / Amos the Transparent / AfterpartY @ Sneaky Dee's on January 23rd (Review)
• No Shame's 100th feat. Skeletones Four, Pick A Piper, Ruby Coast and Green Go @ Horseshoe on Sept. 18th (Review)
• Fallout Party feat. Volcano, The Hoa Hoa's, Postcards and Easy Targets @ Rancho Relaxo on Nov. 6th (Review)
• Depreciation Guild @ The Horseshoe on Sept. 7th (Review)
• Sunparlour Players @ Theatre Centre on August 14th (Review)
• Lovely Killbots / Whale Tooth / Make Your Exit / Amos the Transparent @ Horseshoe on May 22nd (Review)
• The Sound of Sea Animals @ The Legion on April 18th (Review)
• Slakah the Beatchild @ Revival on June 11th (Review)
  

I'm afraid that I haven't had the time to compile a 'Sup in January post this time around, but I will say that I've got my ticket for The Cribs @ The Phoenix on January 15th, and I do have my eye on a few other possibilities also, although I'm not committing myself to anything else just yet. I promise that I'll get my review of the Spiral Beach / Boys Who Say No / Romo Roto show up sometime soon and I'll end by saying that I hope that everyone had a safe 2009 and will continue to make 2010 a groovy experience of its own!

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)

The Hoa Hoa's / Your 33 Black Angels / The Disraelis @ Silver Dollar

As every music loving listmaker knows, December is a month for lists, and my thrill of culling together a year's best predates this here blog by at least a solid 15 years or so. Of course, the year end lists of my 9 year old self would no doubt be a little embarrassing if unearthed these days which makes me glad that the blogging phenomenon didn't happen until I was well into my 30's. Part of the fun that comes with creating such a list is the reworking of said list when something else comes to mind or, better yet, something better enters the picture and on that note, the psych rock extravaganza that I witnessed last week at The Silver Dollar means that my top 10 shows of the year is going to have to be reworked. You'll have to pardon the hyperbole, but this show was life altering!

The first band of the evening was The Disraelis. Although their recorded output has been highly regarded by most, their live show often gets mixed reviews. Cameron Ingles' "could care less" demeanor no doubt has the ability to repel as much as it may attract and in the end, your personal feeling on their live show is going to be just that: a matter of personal taste. Myself, I loved it! The combination of Ingles' lazy drawl, along with Colin Bowers' ringing guitar sound and David Barnes' precise and original drumming made their set rise above my expectations. There was definitely a psychedelic vibe in the air, and although the band owes just as much to Echo and the Bunnymen and The Charlatans as it does to 60's garage past, their slightly abrasive persona was a perfect match for the reverb soaked drones that emanated forth from the stage. There are an awful lot of bands claiming to emulate that nouveau psychedelic shoegaze sound, and most of them either sound a little bit contrived or they are just plain bad, but the incredibly precise musicianship of The Disraelis makes them sound authentic and, more importantly, genuine. What's scary is the fact that the band is likely to get even better, which makes me marvel at the potential.

Photos: My shots of The Disraelis at Silver Dollar are on flickr
Myspace: The Disraelis

A couple of years ago, a rabid Your 33 Black Angels fan went about emailing a whole bunch of bloggers to tell them about his favorite New York band and, by and large, the blogging community seemed to be pretty impressed. Also impressed was one David Fricke of Rolling Stone who labeled them a 'treasure.' I remember liking them quite a bit; thinking that they shared a cool vibe with the Thurston Moore's and Lou Reed's out there. But when I heard that they were added to this bill, I admittedly remembered their name more than their sound. It was two years ago after all, and I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I listen to a lot of music. I was looking forward to getting reacquainted though, and within a few notes, I realized that their inclusion on this night made perfect sense as they boasted a similar 60's sensibility, albeit more rooted in the 'pop' end of the spectrum as opposed to the 'psych' end. Their set was a sweet contrast to The Disraelis, as they turned up the energy and rocked out by cranking out one compelling hook after another. They were definitely heavy on the riffs and although their music lacked the atmosphere of the bands that preceded and followed them, where they excelled was in their ability to create music that is immediate and accessible. Although the less informed may credit another New York band with saving rock 'n roll (I won't mention any initials but I'm talking about The Strokes), those in the know think that the underground credit belongs somewhere else. This was Your 33 Black Angels first visit to Toronto, but hopefully it won't be their last.

Photos: My shots of Your 33 Black Angels at Silver Dollar are on flickr.
(I'm really happy with how these turned out. The lighting was awesome!)
Myspace: Your 33 Black Angels

As you may remember, my introduction to the live version of The Hoa Hoa's was a triumphant success, making them one of a select number of local bands that I must see at every opportunity. This is a very elite list that literally consists of only a handful of acts, which explains my return to their live set a mere four weeks after the last time. This show was to celebrate the release of their excellent Pop/Drone/Pedals album, which has only sounded better since attending this show. There's no need to rehash the fact that the band themselves sound amazing live, since I covered it well in my last review. But this was a night where the whole show seemed extra special for some reason, and although I'm sure they're going to continue to blow me away the more I see them, I doubt that they'll be able to perfectly duplicate the experience of that Friday night. The psychedelic air was thick that night, and this was not due to any particular waft of chemical substances because trust me, I likely would've smelt it if it was there. (For the record, psychedelic chemicals are not my scene; psychedelic music however, very much is.) No, that air was created by several other factors. First of all, the light show was intense which was amazing given the fact that the Silver Dollar is not a large venue at all. There was one person off stage holding a strobe light, which presented an interesting challenge when it came to picture taking, since I had to time my clicks just so. Another person in front was holding a multi-coloured light that created some pretty trippy effects. Another ingredient to the overall vibe was the fact that almost everybody in the audience felt compelled to engage in their own version of freaky 60's dancing, which made the whole room feel as if we were transported back to 1967. It was pretty awesome! The main ingredient of course was the music, and, believe it or not, they were even tighter than they were the last time. By the time the last song was finished playing, I remembered turning to the guy next to me and saying that I had to leave because, with all due respect to Action Makes, who were closing the evening, I didn't want anything to tarnish what I had just witnessed. I'll catch that band at a later date, but the band's final freak out was the perfect way to the end the evening. I've only experienced it on a couple of occasions, but I love that moment at the end of a show when everybody in the audience looks at each other knowing that they've just witnessed something amazing. That happened that night. And amazing this was.

Photos: My pics of The Hoa Hoa's at Silver Dollar are on flickr
Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's

Easy Targets / Postcards / The Hoa Hoa's / Volcano @ Rancho Relaxo

Under normal circumstances, the four band lineup has become something that I do not look forward to as much as I once did. My attention span and irritability level after 10pm is not what it used to be, and the thought of attending a late show with a bill of more than two bands just seems like too daunting a task sometimes. It also often results in me becoming a bit of a harsher critic by the time I get to bands three and four simply because by that point of the evening I've become a grumpy old man.

However, an evening that was billed as The Fallout Party, which took place last Friday night, was a quadruped of sorts that I was more than willing to support, since four outstanding examples of truly euphoric psych rock were joining forces to create a symbiotic "excursion of weightless significance" at our very own Rancho Relaxo. I just knew this was going to be a good one.

Kicking off the evening was Volcano, and, as far as I know, this was their very first live performance. I'm quite familiar with the work of lead vocalist Chris Hobson through his other project The Space Between Things, and when I sampled his Volcano output on the myspace page, I became very curious as to how the material would translate live. While it's true this project comes across as a bit more streamlined than the TSBT material, it still contains a fair measure of jumbled cacophony to facilitate a "how are they going to do that?" thought in my head. Still, even the mildly muffled sound system of the Rancho couldn't hide the beauty of the sounds that this band created together. It was certainly a subdued performance in terms of stage presence and banter and whatnot, but in terms of musical artistry, the band literally sucks you into its drone with a mesmerizing mix of epic space jams and lo-fi psychedelic freak outs. Their last two songs were significant highlights; beginning with an extensive instrumental number that reminded me a little bit of Atom Heart Mother-era Floyd before quietly segueing into their last song, an upbeat rocker with a Keith Richards-like riff that was about as infectious as it gets.

The biggest selling point for me was the last minute inclusion of The Hoa Hoa's into the evening's lineup. It has already been duly noted that they're one of my favorite bands in the city, but despite all of my best intentions, I had never actually gotten around to seeing them live. Yes, embarrassing, I know. Now that I have though, I have to say that my confusion as to their lack of popularity and buzz is now even more mind boggling. I'm willing to accept that they're recorded material may not be everybody's thing, especially if you're not a fan of the whole psych-rock universe. But I refuse to believe that it's possible to leave a Hoa Hoa's show without being completely blown away, regardless of your genre of choice. The reason that I say this is because their performance is tailor made for music lovers, as well as lovers of the live experience, plain and simple. The band exudes an amazing amount of energy on the stage, and the songs translate with excellence as the Manchester beat got the crowd dancing from start to finish. They showcased several songs from the new album, and I think that, as much as I love their older stuff, the newer material boasts a greater intensity that sounds so good live. I loved their performance, and I think that it's safe to say that they are one of the best live bands in the city right now. On the downside, this made things pretty difficult for any band that was put in the unfortunate position of having to follow them.

Postcards (from Montreal) were up next, and of all of the bands that performed that night, the buzz surrounding them seemed to be the greatest. They've built up a strong reputation within the community as a forerunner in the Canadian shoegaze/psych movement, placing emphasis on keeping their sounds artistic, genuine and as lo-fi as possible. As far as I can tell, their EP is only available on cassette, which is either extremely cool or extremely annoying, depending on your outlook. The fact is that their melodic brand of dreamy, slightly Smiths-ish pop music probably suits the hiss and crackle of a car stereo cassette deck warmly, and they displayed their low key sound to a crowd whose enthusiasm seemed oddly disproportionate to the laid back vibe on stage. The audience was jumping around and dancing spasmodically, which was bizarre considering the subtle tones that was emanating off of the stage. Performance-wise, the band was a significant step down from the energetic whomp of The Hoa Hoa's, and it would have been nice to see them get into what they were doing a little bit more. Material-wise however, the band was right on par with everyone else, and I really enjoyed their unique blend of subtle jangle guitar tones and 60's Phil Spector-ish pop melodies.

The evening ended with our very own Easy Targets, who pumped the enthusiasm back up to an indisputable high. There were a couple of familiar faces in the band that I recognized, most notably Jeremiah Knight who played with Volcano at the beginning of the night, and Clint Scrivener, who's in another one of the best live bands in Toronto, namely Pick A Piper (not to mention the work he's done with Caribou). While the other bands of the evening I would describe as firmly rooted in 60's psychedelia, with hints of 80's rave culture and 90's shoegaze, Easy Targets sounded to me to be more the other way around, steeped moreso in 90's melodic noise rock such as Sonic Youth or even early Teenage Fanclub, while still including traces of some of the aforementioned past genres. Boasting easily the largest band of the evening (I think there were six of them) they ended the evening in a celebratory mode that raised the level of euphoria to an appropriate height for an evening so jam packed with music.

I left the evening completely satisfied, which, as I mentioned at the outset, is a pretty amazing feat for such a huge lineup. The fact that all of the bands complemented each other so well allowed the night to flow seamlessly, and listening to Stone Roses on my iPod as I walked home seemed like the perfect nightcap for me. Needless to say, I've been on a steady diet of psych-rock since then, and it's become apparent to me that I need to go to more shows like this.

Photos: My shots of the Fallout Party @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr
Myspace: Easy Targets
Myspace: Postcards
Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Myspace: Volcano

"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

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]

Anthony Rochester - Music For In The Spaceship

Upon first listening to Anthony Rochester's Music For In The Spaceship album, it's very easy to understand how one might think that he comes from Sweden, where he would share the lyrical whimsy of Jens Lekman. Perhaps you could be forgiven for thinking that he hails from Norway, where he would be influenced by the vocal subtlety of Erlend Øye. And the true music aficionado would be justified in assuming that he must comes from Glasgow, since his gift of melody was obviously taught at the school of Belle and Sebastian. However, the truth of the matter is that Hobart, Australia is where Rochester lays his hat, and although all of the aforementioned references are a good starting point and all, Music For In The Spaceship is an excellent album that truly stands on its own in terms of originality and heartfelt ebullience.

Anthony self records and plays most of the instruments himself, and his vocals showcase a vulnerability that adds to his immediate charm. With song titles like Did You Lose Weight?, If Only She'd Mind Read He Won't Have To Tell Her By Himself, and Interplanetary Relationships Can Be Problematic At The Best Of Times, it becomes apparent that Rochester is very witty and refuses to take himself too seriously. The songs are all very soothing, easy to absorb and instantly likable. She Visits Her Friends On The Moon has a 60's Casio French Pop feel to it (although it's sung in English) and Gigi is laugh out loud funny with it's cheesy lounge style keyboard work, and funky blaxploitation bass line. The album closes with It's A Secret But I Want To Sing About The Girl That I Love which is a beautiful song that seems to fit nicely into the Beautiful South songbook, only without all of the veiled sinisterism. In fact, there isn't anything veiled when it comes to the music of Anthony Rochester. What you see (or hear) is what you get and Music For in The Spaceship is pure pop music for pure pop people.

'Music For In The Spaceship' is available for download on iTunes or you can send $13 paypal to seriestworecords@gmail.com for a limited edition CD-R. Only 300 have been pressed.

Myspace: Anthony Rochester
Video: I Love You Baby on youtube
Download: Mathematics mp3


Download: Lipscombe Larder mp3


Other stuff: More local concert goodness this month that you may or may not be aware of.

Leh-Lo, the man behind Sunday open mic nights at The Supermarket, is doing a special show at Revival bar on Monday December 15th. His last album Zig Zag is pretty good but it seriously does not do justice to what the man is capable of. Also on the bill is The Action Mob and they're both opening for Japanese hard rock legends The Flower Travellin' Band. Erm, Strangest. Bill. Ever.The tickets are $17 and apparently the show is being filmed so be on your best behaviour kids! [Myspaces: Leh-Lo, Action Mob, Flower Travellin Band]

Also, The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band and the Spirits make another triumphant return to Toronto when they play Rancho Relaxo on Saturday December 20th with The Speaking Tongues and Terror Lake. Seriously, if you haven't seen The Golden Hands... yet, what is your problem? Yes, they are THAT good!! $7. [Myspaces: The Golden Hands..., The Speaking Tongues, Terror Lake]

Finally, there are two interesting tribute shows taking place in December. The first one is also at Rancho Relaxo on Sunday December 14th and it's called Rock The Clashbah: A Tribute To The Clash. A whole whack of local bands including Provincial Parks, The Wilderness and Leonids are going to be playing covers of various Clash and Joe Strummer songs. Promises to be epic! Cost is $7.

The second tribute show is taking place at The Velvet Underground on Wednesday December 17th, and the cities most impressive psych rock bands will be paying tribute to the music of The Jesus and Mary Chain. On the bill is The Disraelis and The Hoa Hoa's. Others are likely to be added as well. Cost is $5.

Left Of Zero - Self-Titled

Progressive soul? Math jazz? Neo-funk-folk? When I saw Left Of Zero play the Rancho back in August, I knew that if I ever hear their recorded work, it would border on the impossible to slide the band into any particular genre. And sure enough, despite the fact that I've been listening to their infectious self-titled full length relentlessly this week, descriptive terms continue to elude me. They have a sound that harks back to another era; an era of sophisticative musical arrangements and sultry vocals that melt your soul. The opening sweep of 3 of 4 eases the listener into a slightly progressive territory, not totally unlike Portishead only without all the studio noodling, giving them a unique sense of organic experimentation. The song concludes with some musically unaccompanied vocal work by all of the members that is sparse and ethereal. I'm In Love begins with some very subtle guitar work before crescendoing into a crazy jam that ends a little bit too soon, in my opinion. Compromise is more of a relaxed drone of a song, that really allows Jade Lamarche's vocals to shine, as they easily do. Estrella and Unsaid are the closest the band gets to just rocking out, showcasing the fact that guitarists Luis Figueroa and Derek Edwards play off of each other very well, while Adam Boyle may be one of the most calculated drummers on the Toronto scene today. And while many people will be talking about Jade's outstanding voice, I think it's her bass playing that is really the star of this band, as I feel it's the most immediately noticeable thing about their music and what really allows it to stand on its own.

If I have one criticism about the album, it's that the band really has the ability to challenge the listener, but they rarely follow through on doing so. That makes the album very accessible of course, which is likely what the band was going for, and probably appropriate for a debut full length, but it would be neat to hear the band push the boundaries a little bit more the next time around. Songs like You Make Me and the aforementioned I'm In Love sound as if they're going to propel into the stratosphere and make an epic statement, but then they choose to just end instead. I'd like to hear them get a little bit pretentious next time. Of course, nobody appreciated Spinal Tap's foray into jazz exploration so maybe my personal views are better left ignored. Still, Left Of Zero's latest release has accomplished repeat listenings on my end and will likely continue to do so which is a sign of a job well done.

Myspace: Left Of Zero
Video: I'm In Love on youtube

Other stuff: There are a few other shows coming up in the month of December that I forgot to mention yesterday that you might be interested in, all taking place at The Silver Dollar.

First of all, on Friday December 5th we've got The Two Koreas and The Hoa Hoa's taking the stage. Also on the bill are Picturesound, Daniel Kosub and Easy Targets. Cost is $6. I won't be able to make it, and that bums me out since I still haven't seen The Hoa Hoa's live and I've just got to, what with them being amazing and all. [Myspaces: The Two Koreas, The Hoa Hoa's, Picturesound, Daniel Kosub, Easy Targets]

About a week later, $100 is hosting their CD release party for their new Regional 7" Release. This of course is hot on the hills of their critically acclaimed release Forest Of Tears, which is apparently fantastic even though I still have yet to pick it up. The show is on Friday December 12th and it's $8 adv; $10 door. [Myspace: $100]

And for those who like the night life, and like to boogie, there's a late late show on Saturday December 20th beginning at 11pm featuring Rural Alberta Advantage, Ghost Is Dancing and Forest City Lovers. That's an amazing bill that is almost worth setting aside sleep for. Sleeping is overrated anyways right? Right? (I should clarify that this show seems to be mentioned on the Silver Dollar website but not on any the band's myspace pages. So pardon my sloppy journalism but you may want to double check the facts before taking my word on it.) [Myspaces: Rural Alberta Advantage, Ghost Is Dancing, Forest City Lovers.] UPDATE: Forest City Lovers has denied playing this show, so my guess is that it may not actually be happening, even though it's still posted on the Silver Dollar website)

There's many more where that came from but I'm saving it for tomorrow. So see you tomorrow.

Me On The Zygiella Podcast

Hey, I'm just running off to work so I don't have the time to put up anything overly worthwhile at the moment, but if you're from the Toronto area and you haven't already been faithfully listening to the Zygiella podcast, then you're missing out on one of the good ones. On this weeks episode, Tyler figured that no podcast is holy and decided that defiling it with my presence would be a good idea. Just kidding; I was actually flattered about being included in one of the only podcasts that I listen to with any regularity these days. It was a lot of fun. The bands featured on the 'cast are The Hoa Hoa's, Oh No Forest Fires, The Stormalongs, The Dress Whites, Invasions, and Clouds (that look like things).

Subscribe to the podcast here or on iTunes and Zune by searching "Zygiella"
Download: Zygiella podcast #18 mp3

Boxer The Horse, The Hoa Hoa's, Sloan, etc...

I've been listening to lots of enjoyable tuneage lately, but I haven't had a lot of time to blog about it. So while I've actually got a Saturday evening at home, why I don't I toss a few words your way about some of the stuff I've been digging lately.

Boxer The Horse are an instantly likeable band from Charlottetown, P.E.I. who released their debut EP The Late Show several months ago. There's something about that East Coast brand of swinging jangle pop that never seems to get old to me. The EP opens with Boneyard, a slice of 60's styled Brit invasion influenced pop with a chorus that is way too catchy to resist. Jeremy Gaudet's vocals scream Ray Davies, while the thump of the rhythm section reminds me of The Turtles or The Lovin' Spoonful. Jackson Leftfield opens with infectious harmonica and a slightly new wavy keyboard and Rocknroll Band has campy sixties sitcom written all over it. The band shows quite a bit of lyrical whimsy and musical depth in Lenny Was A Moonshiner and Snowflake; while Ohio! caps off the ep nicely, delving into a mildly Dylan-esque vibe, before sequeing into a modern day ragtime conclusion. The Late Show bears repeat listenings, as it never grows old and plays like an album by a band more seasoned than Boxer The Horse really should be at this early stage of the game.

Myspace: Boxer The Horse
Download: Jackson Leftfield mp3


Toronto's psych rock scene is exploding like never before, as is evidenced by the greatness of bands like Quest For Fire, The Disraelis, Invasions and Golden Hands Before God ... What's really great about all of those bands is the fact that I think the psychedelic name tag best suits them all, but you would definitely never mistake one for the other. The same can be said for The Hoa Hoa's (pronouced wah-wah's), also from Toronto. The debut CD is entitled Sonic Bloom, and all of the feelings that the album title conjures up is exactly representative of the bands sound. Like The Disraelis, they are signed to the Optical Sounds label, which clearly specializes in linking the worlds of shoegaze and psych-rock together, and doing so extremely successfully too, I might add. An example of the convincing sound that they've created can be illustrated in the fact that I had The List blaring from my stereo, and my wife asked if I was listening to Joy Division. How many bands these days are trying desperately to master that sound? And how many are actually successful? Exactly. The Hoa Hoa's, on the other hand, have nailed it. Their style never comes across forced, but comfortable; and the vocals' near monotone presentation is one of confidence, not schtick. Sonic Bloom offers forth a band that is destined for greatness, although they sound as if they generally don't care. I wish I was that naturally cool.

Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Download: The List mp3


Finally, I've been meaning to talk about Sloan's 11the album for several months now but I was really hoping that Parallel Play would grow on me a little bit more than it has. As you can tell by the title of my blog, Sloan is easily one of my favourite artists of all time, and they are definitely my favourite Canadian act. They've never released a bad album, and this one is certainly better than average. However, I feel that it doesn't quite reach the heights of their last release, Never Hear The End Of It. That album had 30 songs, this one has a much more manageable 13, but oddly enough, I would say that this shorter one actually contains more filler than their last epic did. Every member contributes 3 songs each, except for Andrew, who gives us 4. I think that this is great since I feel that his songs are by far the greatest and most interesting. His Dylan-esque Down In The Basement just may be the best song he's ever written, and I also enjoy his reggae-fied album closer Too Many. Also, contrary to the flames on the Sloan message board, I think Emergency 911 is an awesome punk song, most likely a show stopper when played live. None of Patrick's song really inspire me much this time around, but I would say the Dandy Warhol attempt of Burn For It is pretty good. Jay has always been the most consistent one, and his songs are all good, even if they all follow a certain pop pattern that gets a bit predictable. My favourite of his would be Witch's Wand. As far as Chris goes, he's got some hits and some misses, which is unfortunate considering the fact that NHTEOI contained some of his sharpest lyrics to date. I'm Not A Kid Anymore is the best of the Chris penned songs, being the hookiest and most anthemic of the bunch.

Myspace: Sloan
Download: I'm Not A Kid Anymore mp3