Union City @ The Mod Club

The last time that I saw Union City they were known as The Scene, and I was very impressed with their authentic Brit-Pop sound. Well, in a matter of only a few months, the band has changed their name, morphed from a four piece into a three piece and released an outstanding EP. But the sound that they have carefully honed has remained very much in tact.

Their show at The Mod Club on Saturday night was touted as their Toronto CD release show, although basically it was more of a warm up show for all those who came out to dance the night away afterwards. I was obviously one of the few who was there to actually see the band, but I wouldn't be surprised if their performance had won them a few more fans. Upon seeing them this time, as well as listening to the EP in heavy rotation this weekend, there's no doubt in my mind that the band has been feeding on a steady diet of all things musically British. They come across as a cool amalgamation of The Kinks and early Oasis, minus the 'tude. On some of the more slightly downbeat numbers, such as Nowhere Left To Hide, vocalist Matt Crowley's voice sounds eerily similar to Lee Mavers, the vocalist for The La's. This is awesome to me because The La's are one of those bands that I wish put out more stuff. The other two members of the band are Jason Wells on bass and Mark Chamberlain on drums.

Like last time, their set was relatively brief, consisting of only a handful of songs, but the energy was highly infectious. This was heightened by the fact that there was some sort of bridal party stagette thing going on at the venue, and seeing as the girls were definitely making their presence known, the band dedicated their set to them. Also like last time, the band pulled out their cover of The Beatles' She Said, She Said, and Mod Club founder and Platinum Blonde frontman Mark Holmes joined them onstage for the vocals. Like the show, the CD also blasts by, clocking in at a rapid fire 21 minutes, forcing repeated listenings. All the songs are great but I highly encourage listening to the album closer Paris on auto repeat. This song is an example of pure rock 'n roll. No gimmicks. No posing. No catering to the MTV crowd. Just pure, unadulterated, authentic, classic sounding rock 'n roll. I almost forgot what that sounded like.

I highly encourage picking up this CD when you get the chance. I know that it's available at their live shows. They'll be at The Moho in Peterborough on June 6th and the live lounge in Ottawa on June 13th.

Photos: Union City @ The Mod Club on flickr
Myspace: Union City

The Scene @ The Mod Club

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

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

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