'Sup In September: Ten Picks

I've still got a couple of show reviews to talk about, both of which sprang from this year's Summerworks Festival which took place a couple of weeks ago. But before we look back, I think it's time to look ahead to what's going on in September. Normally, September is regarded as one of the saddest months of the year since it is usually synonymous with the end of summer. However this year we never had a summer, so let's hope we can still get a summer of the Indian variety in the weeks ahead as we collectively bask in the glow of some of the great shows that we can look forward to next month.

For more detailed listings, as usual, go check out Stillepost, Zoilus and Jen's Weekly List (of shows under $10)

1. The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart @ The Horseshoe
(Monday, September 7th; Cost: $12)

For whatever reason, I've never mentioned these amazing New York shoegazers before on this blog, even though their self titled release from February is an album that has remained in constant rotation on my ipod for the better part of the year. I'd like to say that I was one of the early supporters of this band, but the truth is that I jumped on this bandwagon around the same time as everyone else did. Thing is, the music has received so much hype, that I'm impressed with myself for surrendering my snobbish impulses and jumping on at all. Here's one case where I can truly say that the album at least, definitely lives up to the hype. Whether or not the show does, remains to be seen, although I can't see any reason why it wouldn't.

[Myspace: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart]

2. The Sadies @ The Horseshoe
(Saturday September 12th; Cost: $15)

Do I really need to provide any hype for this show? The Sadies = best live band in Toronto. Done. As of right now, their supporters for the evening are only listed as 'Guests' on the Horseshoe listings page, but they tend to bring only the best with them whilst playing The 'Shoe, so I recommend getting there early.

[Myspace: The Sadies]

3. Joe Pernice / Kate Boothman @ Dakota Tavern
(Tuesday September 24th; Cost: $18.50)

Joe Pernice (pictured above) has just finished publishing his first novel, which is entitled It Feels So Good When I Stop. I still have yet to read it, but it's been lauded by personal literary fave Nick Hornby, so I'll have to admit that I'm more than a little bit curious. The man is already a master at crafting a perfect 3 or 4 minute pop song, so if he can channel that wit into a piece of literature, I'd imagine that it's going to be pretty good. He's recorded a soundtrack to the novel featuring covers of songs by Sebadoh, The Dream Syndicate and even Dick Van Dyke, and I'm sure many of those songs, along with some of his brilliant originals should suit the intimate Dakota atmosphere just nicely.

[Myspaces: Joe Pernice; Kate Boothman]

4. The Minus 5 @ The Horseshoe
(Sunday September 13th; Cost: $13.50)

I'll admit that I haven't been following the career of this American rock collective for quite some time, but the idea of seeing Scott McCaughey (from Young Fresh Fellows), Peter Buck (from REM) and Steve Wynn (from Dream Syndicate) up close and personal is a pretty tough one to pass up. The fact that this band has also boasted appearances by such notables as Colin Meloy, Ken Stringfellow, Robert Pollard, Pete Yorn and of course, Jeff Tweedy can't help but fill one with all sorts of "what if" thoughts that likely will not come to fruition but, you never know...

[Myspace: The Minus 5]

5. No Shame's 100th Show @ The Horseshoe
feat. Green Go, Ruby Coast, Pick a Piper and The Skeletones Four
(Friday September 18th; Cost: $10)

The No Shame independent music series has provided our city with a high quality indie rock show 99 times in a row now, and they're prepared to make their 100th show extra special. Four of the best independent bands that I have ever heard will be taking the stage, and the show is guaranteed to be one crazy party. (This here blog may have a contest in relation to this show in the very near future. Stay tuned...)

[Myspaces: Green Go; Ruby Coast; Pick A Piper; The Skeletones Four]

6. Broken Bricks / The Assistants / Davey Parker Radio Sound @ Silver Dollar
(Friday September 11th; Cost: $5)

We all know how much I loves the psych rock, and two of the best tripsters in the city are playing the same night. I've seen Broken Bricks before and reviewed them here; and I've listened to Davey Parker Radio Sound before and reviewed them here. The Assistants are a little bit more 80's college radio than psych, but some elements are still definitely there. I've seen them before too, and I reviewed them here.

[Myspaces: Broken Bricks; The Assistants; Davey Parker Radio Sound]

7. Black Diamond Heavies / Elvyn @ Velvet Underground
(Thursday September 17th; Cost: TBA)

Black Diamond Heavies are an American band that take everything that is raw and dirty about rock 'n roll and boil it into a soulful stew that is as loud and authentic as the music of any gritty garage band to emerge out of the Detroit scene over the last 30 years. Except they're actually from Nashville. And I haven't actually heard them yet. Still, from what I've read, it sounds like they put on a heckuva rawk show. Admittedly, the main reason that this show makes my monthly ten list for September is the fact that Peterborough's Elvyn will be kicking off the night, and they'll likely be showcasing some songs from their upcoming full length, which should be out in the near future. Elvyn revels in the kind of rootsy pop music that makes artists like Teenage Fanclub and The Jayhawks so great, and they're certainly worth getting out on a Thursday night for.

[Myspaces: Black Diamond Heavies; Elvyn]

8. Hi Hat 4 Launch Night @ Rancho Relaxo
(Friday September 4th / Saturday September 5th; Cost: $10 w/CD, $7 without)

It really is amazing all that has been accomplished in recent months over at Hi Hat Recordings. Some of my favourite local bands are currently signed to that label, and to celebrate the release of a new compilation album, the Rancho Relaxo is hosting not one, but two nights of fun featuring some of the greatest bands in the city. Friday night will consist of sets by Wildlife, Spookey Ruben, Black Hat Brigade and Sandman Viper Command. As cool as Friday looks, I think that the money night for me would be Saturday, with performances by Cut Throat Briva, The Job, Sitcom and Invasions.

9. Regina Spektor @ Sound Academy
(Wednesday September 16th; Cost: $29)

I know this makes me sound like a major snob, but I really haven't paid much attention to Ms. Spektor since she shifted her focus from jazzy piano eccentricities to a more accessible and streamlined sound. There's also no way you'll ever be able to convince me that seeing her at the giant sweatbox that is the Sound Academy could ever compare with seeing her at the tiny Rivoli a few short years ago. Still, the fact that she's an amazing performer is undeniable, and if you haven't seen her yet, I can't help but recommend that you fork over the thirty dollars minus one and check her out. Regina Spektor needs to be experienced by everybody, at least once.

[Myspace: Regina Spektor]

10. Juliette Lewis / Band Of Skulls @ Opera House
(Friday September 11th; Cost: $20)

When it comes to Juliette Lewis: the rock star, the ratio of substance to schtick leans heavily towards the latter. Still, I can't help but find her very entertaining and although she may be a bit of a guilty pleasure of sorts, I must admit that I'm really looking forward to checking out her show. I just don't see enough punky mock rock these days! To sweeten the pot, Band of Skulls will be opening, and although I still have yet to listen to Baby Darling Doll Face Honey all the way through, I like the songs that I know, and I do enjoy their brand of anthemic garage rock quite a bit.

[Myspaces: Juliette Lewis; Band of Skulls]

Honorable Mentions:
There are a few other great shows in September that I highly recommend but I left them out of the top ten because they feature bands that I seem to recommend all the time. Burlington's Beautiful Nothing are playing The Horseshoe on Friday September 11th in support of their new album entitled The Fruits of Youth. [Cost: $6] The Balconies are celebrating the release of their new CD at Lee's Palace on with Oh No Forest Fires, Fox Jaws and Whale Tooth. Wednesday September 25th [Damn, what a lineup. Cost: TBA] Modernboys Moderngirls will also be celebrating the release of their new CD at Sneaky Dee's on Friday September 18th with Clothes Make The Man and Black Hat Brigade. [I've also got a contest for this show coming up. Stay tuned...] And Cuff The Duke are playing an instore at Criminal Records on Tuesday September 8th for free.

Where I'll Be:
I definitely plan on being at Dakota for Joe Pernice, although looking at the Soundscapes list, I'd better grab those tickets soon because they're almost sold out. I'm also sealed in for the Juliette Lewis / Band of Skulls show. Finally, Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Minus 5 and No Shame are all very strong maybe's at the moment and whether or not I make it out to see Elvyn will depend on how early they start, since we all know that getting out early on a Thursday night is a bit of a tough one for me. We'll see...

Darren Gaines & the Key Party - My Blacks Don't Match

When I reviewed the debut release by New York's The Key Party, I referred to it as a slice of Tom Waits-ian lo-fi gutter rock. Using such a singular description for the sophomore release by the newly renamed Darren Gaines and the Key Party, is not going to be as easy a task since the band has stepped up the variety this time and allowed this project to be more of a collaborative affair. Recruiting the vocal and vibraslap talents of Sara Syms was a sweet move, as she adds a sultry layer of sludge to the soundtrack, which dives head first into a musical mud sluice leading to a bluesy underworld that is as endearing as it is frightening. While listening to this album, you get the sense that Darren Gaines was raised in a world where you'd be happy to keep a family of sewer rats as pets, or even friends. Despite the dark and dingy analogies that I've been overusing in this opening paragraph, the fact is that, simply put, I love this album.

After a brief acoustic intro, opening track Nightshade, busts forth with a blasting barrage of brass, accompanied by Gaines' delicious yelp. It does a very good job at setting the tone for the album, as it straddles a line between smoky urban blues and New Orleans funk. Songs like Hey Napoleon and The Litterati follow along in a similar mold, with the latter boasting a significantly fuller sound than when I first heard it in its demo form. Good Old Days (Wash Away) has more of a light hearted vibe to it, even if the lyrics are still somewhat dark in tone. Still the song does boast a real celebratory feel, not unlike John Hiatt's Slow Turning, although once again, the horn section gives it that extra bit of oomph. A couple of the songs showcase a different side of Gaines' vocal abilities, most notably in Tripped Down Memory, which describes a chance meeting with the past; and on album closer Speechless, where his vocals display a warbly bassy-ness that actually benefits from a couple of bum notes, allowing an appealing vulnerability to shine through. I have to admit, that I'm a bit curious as to how that last song would have sounded with the production toned down just a bit, having only the vocal and guitar speak alone. Still, it's a captivating way to end the album. And that very approach is showcased earlier on with Snowdrift, a beautifully engaging song that causes me to hit the repeat button whenever it's played.

My Blacks Don't Match is a significant step up from Hit Or Miss, which was a good album, but it perhaps overstayed its welcome by a few songs. This one feels just right, length wise, and Darren's desire to step out of his comfort zone on a couple of the tracks is an inspired move that I hope he continues to cultivate on future releases.

My Blacks Don't Match will be released officially in March, but a downloadable version is available now at digstation.com.

Above photo by Alison Grippo

Myspace: Darren Gaines and the Key Party

Other stuff:

Local electro-pop dance sensation Green Go have just released a bunch of new remixes which are available for free download over here. Admittedly, dance music always takes a little while to register with me personally, and this goes double for remixes, but I really like what these guys have done here, providing interesting versions of songs by Born Ruffians, The D'Urbervilles, Rural Alberta Advantage, Gentlemen Reg and Women. [Myspace: Green Go]

If you haven't already picked up your tickets for Flight Of The Conchords at Massey Hall, well it looks like you're out of luck. Sold out. The only reason that I mention this here is because, even though I think that they're all kinds of hillarious, I personally could not justify spending that kind of cash on a novelty act. There's still tickets left for great bands like Bat For Lashes (Mod Club, April 25th, $15), Enter The Haggis (Mod Club, March 17th, $15) and A.C. Newman (Lee's Palace, March 11th, $15) but the overplayed (yet understandably delightful) FOTC is completely sold out. What kind of a bizarro world are we living in anyways? [Myspaces: Flight of the Conchords; Bat For Lashes; Enter The Haggis; A.C. Newman]

One of my most anticipated releases of the year is The Hazards Of Love, the upcoming rock opera by The Decemberists. They already displayed a little prog love on their last album with songs like The Island and The Crane Wife Parts 1, 2 & 3, but this 17 song suite sounds like it's going to be deliciously self-indulgent. Personally, I can't wait. The band plans on touring the album in its entirety, just like Pink Floyd did with The Wall, and Genesis did with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and The Who did with..., well, you get the idea. Tour dates (no Toronto yet) and other info are on Pitchfork. [Myspace: The Decemberists]

Brian Jonestown Massacre guitarist Matthew Tow's other neo-psychedelic project The Lovetones are set to release Dimensions, their fourth studio album, stateside on February 24th. How this affects us here in Canada, I'm not sure, but from what I've heard, the album is a little bit more in line with what I love about the BJM world, as opposed to their very confusing last album, My Bloody Underground, which I did not get at all. You can download the newest Lovetones single Journeyman by right-clicking and saving here. [Myspace: The Lovetones]

PJ Harvey and John Parish are interviewed about their upcoming collaboration project in the upcoming issue of The Stool Pigeon. An excerpt from the interview is transcribed over at The Quietus. [Myspaces: John Parish; PJ Harvey]

My old favourites Young Rival have recently performed a CBC Radio 3 Session. The session is available in a song by song mp3 format over at I (Heart) Music. By the way, the official website has a cool little guitar fishing video game on it. Addictive. [Myspace: Young Rival]

Provincial Parks - Iron Parks EP

The backlog of CD's that I have to listen to and review is reaching the point of unmanageable, but I don't anticipate that I'll be heading out to a great wealth of shows over the next few days so maybe I'll get the chance to finally post a CD review or two.

I finally gave a listen to a few of them over the past week, and the one that stood out the most to me was the Iron Ponies EP by Provincial Parks. Will, Rich, Scotty and Pete all live together in the same house in the suburbs of Toronto (?), and they all met through craigslist. When you listen to the EP, it's actually quite amazing that these guys don't really have any other history with each other prior to the band, because the symmetry between the band members is uncanny. I'm saying this in terms of instrumentation, harmony and overall musical mood. Chemistry like this usually takes years to nourish, decades to cultivate. But Provincial Parks make it seem effortless, as each song on the EP eclipses the one before it. The production is so pristine that it's hard to believe that it was recorded in the band's basement. Some of the songs have a harder edged stadium sound to them (Open Grave, Scenes and Faces) while other songs are steeped in handclaps and melody (Love/Confidence). The title track is a mainly instrumental piece that is downright baroscopic as it segues into the beautifully epic The Wasp and the Dragonfly. This may be kind of an obscure reference for the regular readers of my blog, but it reminds me of some of the atmospheric renderings of Eric Johnson, minus the overwrought guitar explorations. The standout track for me is Young Bride, which is interesting in the sense that while it's not a cover of the Midlake song that shares its name, it seems to come from a similar point of reference. The chorus boasts some mesmerisingly stunning vocal work that is straight out of the Fleetwood Mac handbook, while the melody pulsates with ebullience. The song is beautiful, simply beautiful. The final song is an instrumental electronic left turn with the humorous title Too Indie For The CBC, which is a perfect album ender, but also a great way to whet the listener's appetite for what may be coming next. If the band has more output like this in store for the future, then a lot of people are going to be familiar with the works of Provincial Park in the years to come.

Above photo by Stef Town

Myspace: Provincial Parks
Download: Young Bride mp3

Other stuff:
Did you watch the Grammy's on Sunday night? Yah, me neither, but apparently Green Day subtly name dropped the title of their upcoming new album, which will be entitled 21st Century Breakdown. It sounds like it's going to be another ambitious project, with the songs divided into three acts namely: i) Heroes and Cons; ii) Charlatans and Saints; and iii) Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades. There's some information about it at USA Today. [Myspace: Green Day]

While we're in 90's mode, For The Records informs us that The Presidents of the United States of America are coming to Lee's Palace on April 21st. I'm actually tempted to go. I kinda liked those guys. [Myspace: Presidents of the United States of America]

And if we can slink back to the 80's for a bit, UK Ska legends The English Beat are also playing Lee's Palace on Friday April 17th. Tix are 23.50 adv. [Myspace: The English Beat]

If you're unable to make it out to see The Von Bondies at The Horseshoe on Friday February 13th, then check out their free in-store at Criminal Records earlier in the day at 5pm. [Myspace: Von Bondies]

Local indie music guru Doc Pickles is co-hosting this week's Zygiella podcast. [Myspaces: Zygiella, Doc Pickles]

This month's issue of Canadian Musician Magazine contains a four page interview with each of the separate members of Sloan. Word on the street is that they are going to be playing a couple of nights at The Mod Club on March 11 & 12th for CMW. [Myspace: Sloan]

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

The Disraelis - Demonstration EP

So we're all familiar with how much I love the shoegaze, aren't we? Many bands have caught my attention over the last couple of years that easily fall into that category, and now we can add Toronto's The Disraelis to that list.

The Disarelis are Cameron Jingles, Colin Bowers and Dave Barnes, and they understand exactly what is takes to create that stellar psych / shoegaze sound. The ringing guitars contain just the right measure of distortion to make it sound interesting without ever hiding the melody away for extra effect. Cameron's vocals are almost lazy, giving off the impression that very little effort was made to sound cool, and that adds a whole other level of intrigue to their sound.

I hear traces of Joy Division in the raw vocals, and of Stone Roses in the guitar based delivery, and this first EP is a must have as far as I'm concerned. It starts with The Bitter Ash, where he vocalizes that "the bitter ash tastes the same but I still want more." It is an example of what I would consider to be an instant classic. In fact, listening to this song makes me feel as if I must've heard it before in my teens, because it instantly takes me back to being that angst fueled youth that honestly had no reason to be angsty at all. The opening riff from In Memory is reminiscent of U2 circa Boy, or the self proclaimed punk years, while the melody is straight out of a John Hughes movie, but in a good way. Blackmail is sung and performed with reckless immediacy. David Barnes' drums are particularly immediate, especially during the last half of the song, providing a masterful enrichment to Jingles' declaration that "This Is Blackmail!!!" You can almost sense the look in his penetrating glare as he sings that he "knows how it feels, feeling old, feeling sad, feeling cold, feeling pain that you don't know." Distance has a bit of a harder edge to it, and the backing vocals create a sonic timbre that fills things in nicely. On Earth is epic, and all I can do is encourage you to listen to it.

The Disarelis are a band that MTV would love to corrupt and make crappy, in much the same way as they did with bands like Interpol. Thankfully this band seems genuinely not interested. And that interests me, as it likely will others who come across their music.

The Disraelis have a CD Release show with The Hoa Hoa's at Sneaky Dee's on Saturday July 12th.

Photo by Sonya Surbek
Myspace: The Disarelis

Exciting Local Music Sites

In my sidebar, I added an elite set of links for the local music sites that I personally find very exciting. The sexiest of the bunch by far is Zygiella. The complicated explanation of their mission statement is to combine the work of Myspace, Facebook, CDBaby, Flickr, Last.Fm, etc, etc, etc into one wicked awesome DIY band promotion site. The simple explanation is that they want to support and promote good music. It's still in its beginning stages but it is easily the spiffiest looking site around. Most sites (including mine) all look the same but Zygiella is the future. I'm excited to see its progress. I hope it blows up real big and stuff.

www.zygiella.com

And because I'm just a redundant kind of guy, I'll throw up the links to the other exciting local sites right here, even though they're probably located immediately to the right anyways.

Two Way Monologues - OK, I've told you about this one already, right?
Toronto Indie - You should already know about this one. It's been around longer than I have.
New Sound Now - I suppose technically, this is just another music blog but it's a video music blog. Ooooh. You mean I don't have to read anything? Cool. (OK, there's some reading...)