Canadian Musicfest - BADBADNOTGOOD, Cookie Duster @ Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (March 23, 2013)

  Cookie Duster: photo by Michael Ligon

It took a while but here's the last part of my coverage of this year's Canadian Musicfest. I ended this year's festival, as a traditionally do, on the Saturday night and dropped anchor at the Horseshoe Tavern for two sets. At about a quarter past eleven, Toronto's Cookie Duster took to the stage. You can read up on the history of the band here but this is the project of Brendan Canning(of Broken Social Scene) and Bernard Maiezza, and the current lineup includes Jeen O'Brien, guitarist Matt Murphy(of Superfriendz) and drummer Damon Richardson (Danko Jones). I couldn't help but feel an Emily-Haines vibe emanating from vocalist O'Brien - she sang wide-mouthed with enthusiasm, and perhaps not as much swagger as Haines, but it appeared she was trying. It wasn't hard to imagine some of these songs as Broken Social Scene songs - songs that went from sprawling, to groove-based, and others which definitely presented their distinct pop choruses. The band's single "Two Feet Stand Up" from the lineup's 2012 full-length LP When Flying Was Easy was one of the more infectious songs I'd heard in a long time and I was glad to hear it live. Not everything was as instantly catching as that but in the end I thought the variety was refreshing. While one might think of the band as a supergroup of sorts, I really felt the members gelled well together.

Photos: Cookie Duster @ Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (March 23, 2013)
Facebook: Cookie Duster
Twitter: Cookie Duster
Video: Cookie Duster - Two Feet Stand Up (Official Video)


  BADBADNOTGOOD: photo by Michael Ligon

With Cookie Duster's competent warm-up, I was ready to end the night with Toronto's BADBADNOTGOOD. Having missed seeing them live on numerous occasions, I made up my mind that this would be the night I would finally catch them. Comprised of Matthew Tavares on keys, Chester Hansen on bass, and Alexander Sowinski on drums, and on that night also including a Leland Whitty on sax and flute, the band worked the crowd hard with their sublime mix of free jazz, hip hop, groove. This was the band's first show ever at the Horseshoe Tavern, and there were moments of intense feeling in the crowd as individuals tried, with only partial success, to get a mosh pit going. As the band approached the conclusion of their set and appropriately prepped the crowd for one final blast of their sonic, almost punk-ish, fury, the crowd took the cue, a mosh pit broke out and in a fit of spontaneity I threw myself into it. Not the first time I've done that but not something I've done very often either, and but the rush you get from it is unlike no other. Yes, I ended up spraining my right foot [I think somebody stepped on my foot] and it took me several days before the pain subsided to a tolerable level, but it was totally worth it.

Photos: BADBADNOTGOOD @ Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (March 23, 2013)
Facebook: BADBADNOTGOOD
Twitter: BADBADNOTGOOD
Bandcamp: BADBADNOTGOOD
Video: BADBADNOTGOOD - UWM (Feat. Leland Whitty)
MP3: BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2 (full album) *

* or go to the band's website to download BBNG2 in CD quality format

Canadian Musicfest - Charlotte Church @ El Mocambo, Toronto (March 23, 2013)

  Charlotte Church: photo by Michael Ligon

Charlotte Church (yes, that Charlotte Church) came to town last month for a show at El Mocambo during Canadian Music Week. The Welsh soprano who's mainly known as an angel-voiced classical singer whose prodigious talent was first introduced to the masses in the late 90's before she even hit her teens. She branched out into pop in the mid-2000's with her album Tissues and Issues and then came back in 2010 with a singer-songwriter pop album Back to Scratch but at that point, although she was off my radar for that whole period. When I saw her name on the Canadian Musicfest lineup I didn't even have the intention of including her in my CMF schedule but when I checked out the video of the live session [her song "Nerve"] she did for The Line of Best Fit, I was actually floored. She's yet again branched off into a different direction, still displaying her powerful yet nuanced vocals but at least as displayed from the Line of Best Fit session, she's embraced an edgier musical direction.

Having been a Live Nation show meant that my CMW media pass didn't allow me to take photos at the show since I'd not gotten approval through Live Nation. I found it a little surprising, that on name recognition alone and that the festival had been prominently promoting her as one of the festival's feature acts, the El Mocambo was at most a little more than half capacity for Charlotte's set. It took a bit of time to set up after the openers (Folly and The Hunter), but then the band took the stage, with Charlotte eventually strolling on. Her wardrobe, her dress and face paint that was on the theatrical side, reminded me a bit of Bat For Lashes or the wilder moments of Kate Bush which was almost a disappointment since I was hoping to see the down-to-earth look she had in The Line of Best Fit session. But the theatrical look that Charlotte had this night never became a distraction once she opened her mouth. As was quite apparent from her set, she hasn't totally abandoned her classical vocal stylings - her vocals were quite powerful when they needed to be [with Charlotte soothing her voice with honey between songs], but there was also more nuance as she added a gentler touch at times, and wasn't afraid to even add effects to her vocals like vocoder or use a loop pedal. Musically, it was a mix of organic and electronic, post-rock, pop and ethereal, with two drum kits, guitars and keyboards, augmented at times with electronic flourishes. Performing songs off the first two EP's (of a series of five E.P.s) entitled One and Two respectively and even introducing a new song to the audience [which she'd prompted the audience to feel free to slow dance to the saddest song in the world], the mature musical direction that Charlotte has taken this time around feels quite natural and intensely satisfying.

Photos: Charlotte Church @ El Mocambo, Toronto (March 23, 2013)
Facebook: Charlotte Church
Twitter: Charlotte Church
Video: Charlotte Church - "Nerve" (live session for The Line of Best Fit)
Video: Charlotte Church - "Nerve" (live session for Saturday Night Show)
Video: Charlotte Church - "Glitterbombed" (music video)
Video: Charlotte Church - "Glitterbombed" (Live Jonathan Ross Show)

Canadian Musicfest -- The Grapes of Wrath @ Sonic Boom, Toronto (March 23, 2013)

  The Grapes of Wrath: photo by Michael Ligon

Yes, bands can have a second life, as proved by Kelowna, BC's The Grapes of Wrath. The band consisted of Kevin Kane and brothers Chris Hooper and Tom Hooper. The band's first album September Bowl of Green was released in 1984 although the band really hit their stride with 1987's Treehouse, the album that turned me on to them. I remember back then reading that they were Canada's answer to American band R.E.M. (who were also relatively early in their career), with their jangle-guitar pop sound. The band seemed poised for success, to an extent achieving it with 1989's Now and Again and 1991's These Days and then it seemed to abruptly end when Kane left the band. There was the Ginger period, basically Grapes of Wrath without Kevin Kane, but for all intensive purposes, I think most Grapes of Wrath fans (myself included) never gave them a chance. The Grapes of Wrath's trifecta of albums from 1987 to 1991, were all that really mattered.

But the core trio of Hooper / Kane / Hooper are back. The band released a singles compilation(featuring two new songs) entilted Singles last October and just released an album of new material, entitled High Road, this past March through Toronto's Aporia label. The trio, plus a forth (touring?) member, came to Toronto's Sonic Boom to play a warm-up set on the afternoon of Saturday March 23 (prior to their Canadian Musicfest showcase at the Dakota Tavern later that night). A small but dedicated crowd was on-hand, but it was quite noticeable that at least half the attendees there were there on a nostalgia kick - mothers with their young kids, dudes 35 years of age and up (myself included), the thirty-something couple dancing gleefully in the aisles especially during the band's performance of their older material. The band played a selection of their greatest singles showcasing their vocal harmonies, highlighted by a invigorating rendition of "Peace of Mind" and a plaintive "All The Things She Wasn't" and they also played new songs like the spright pop of "Good To See You" which would have fit in nicely on any of their older albums. It's funny how when I looked at them now, they virtually look the way as I remembered them back in 1987. And back to my introductory sentence - bands can have a second life. I wish them luck.

Photos: The Grapes of Wrath @ Sonic Boom, Toronto (March 23, 2013)
Facebook: The Grapes of Wrath
Twitter: The Grapes of Wrath
MySpace: The Grapes of Wrath
Soundcloud: The Grapes of Wrath - "Good To See You", "Take On The Day" *
Video: The Grapes of Wrath - "Piece of Mind" (music video)

* new songs included on the band's singles compilation Singles released in October 2012

Lowell, Savages @ Canadian Musicfest, Toronto (March 22, 2013)

  Lowell: photo by Michael Ligon

On the Friday night of Canadian Musicfest, I chose quality over quantity, only checking out two sets that night, but both buzz-worthy acts that in my opinion lived up to the hype. First up was Toronto singer-songwriter Lowell at Lee's Palace who was totally unknown to me before the festival. According to the her bio on the Canadian Musicfest website, over 4 days in April 2012, she worked in the studio with Grammy award winning producer Martin Terefe and the other members of the Apparatjik collective (Magne F (Aha), Guy Berryman (Coldplay) and Jonas Bjerre (MEW)) to create a mini-album entitled Apparatjik Presents lowell: if you_ _ can, 5olve thi5 jumble?, her debut which was released in late October 2012. Tagged as one to watch in 2013 by The Grid TO, she's only 21 years young but has already made some headway in Europe. Lowell's multiple appearances during this past Canadian Musicfest were apparently her first live shows in her hometown, and by what I heard at Lee's Palace that night, I was impressed. With a bank of keyboards in front of her and with a drummer accompanying her, it was a no-frills performance of subtle rhythms, whirring keyboards and Lowell's girlish vocals. I don't recall if she played her rhythmic pop single "Shake Him Off" but I can hear why she often has been compared to Swedish singer Lykke Li. I didn't quite get a full helping of her music since I arrived to the venue a little after she started her 9:30 pm set [the venue already being at almost 75% capacity] and her set seemed all-too-brief, but I look forward to checking her out live again. I'm usually hard to impress when it comes to artists / bands that are that young, so to come out of her set with my interest piqued was a nice surprise.

Photos: Lowell @ Lee's Palace, Toronto (March 22, 2013)
Facebook: Lowell
Twitter: Lowell
Video: Lowell - "Shake Him Off" (music video)


  Savages: photo by Michael Ligon

Next up on my agenda were buzz act Savages from London, England who were scheduled to play a set at the Horseshoe Tavern at around 10 after 11 pm. This was the first of two appearance they had scheduled during the festival [they played a midnight set at Lee's Palace the night after]. I'd gone to the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City in October of last year and Savages were actually one of the buzziest acts of the festival, and I managed to not catch any of their appearances so I definitely thought I should make up for that. As dangerous-sounding as their name implies, the all-female four-piece consisting of Jehnny Beth on vocals, Ayse Hassan on bass guitar, Fay Milton on drums & Gemma Thompson on guitar, specialized in a spiky post-punk sound that had echoes of Siouxsie and The Banshees, Joy Division, Gang of Four, and Public Image Limited. The band had appropriately dark attire to go with their dark post-punk sound, Jehnny's stark vocal attack like a sonic punch in the face, while the band with Fay's propulsive drumming, Ayse rumbling bass, and Gemma's spiky guitar sound, sliced through the air. While Jehnny had an air of perhaps being a bit scary, she was really only like that when she zoned in to her vocal performance - she was quite thankful to the audience, the few times she spoke to us. I was too young in the late 70's / early 80's to have experienced the post-punk era first-hand, but this I imagine may have been the closest facsimile, minus the smartphone cameras that a good number of audience members had of course. The band's debut full-length entitled Silence Yourself is set to be released on May 7 via Beth's own label Pop Noire and through Matador Records.

Facebook: Savages
Twitter: Savages
Video: Savages - "Husbands" (live on Later with Jools Holland, 2nd October 2012)

Canadian Musicfest -- Mise En Scene @ Sonic Boom and Model Citizen, Toronto (March 22, 2013)

  Mise En Scene: photo by Michael Ligon

What Canadian Musicfest could perhaps benefit from is alternate venues for bands to play in like instores. I'm kind of surprised that more unofficial in-stores / performances aren't organized around Canadian Music Week like what has happened, especially in recent years, during NXNE. Well, I guess NXNE's warmer weather does help. Local artist & brand development company Audio Blood were in charge of Canadian Musicfest's social media and also organized a bunch of instores at several different locations under the banner of CMW EXTRAS, giving some of the artist/band participants more opportunities for exposure. On the Thursday night of the schedule at 11 pm was the only official CMW set for Winnipeg female guitar/drums duo Mise En Scene but with having to work the next day, I wasn't particularly motivated to stay downtown and have to commute back to the burbs late for a second night in a row. However, since I knew Mise En Scene were going to be playing a few in-stores the next day, I didn't feel too bad for not going to their Thursday night set at the Bovine Sex Club.

That Friday, Mise En Scene had two instores - one just after work around 5 pm at Sonic Boom and then later that night around 8:30 pm at a clothing store in Kensington Market called Model Citizen, both of which I attended. The duo, consisting of Stefanie Blondal Johnson (guitar/vocals) and Jodi Dunlop (drums), were increased to a three-piece with a gent on bass for their Model Citizen in-store. Just when I thought the guitar / drums rock duo thing had been done to death, here comes along these gals who impressed the hell out of me. And no it's not just that they're cute girls (although that doesn't hurt). Musically, they reminded me of bands like Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast, Johnson with her bare bones guitar strumming and Dunlop with her tight and energetic drumming. The gals performed a great set of melodic tunes, showcasing a variety of musical styles including punk, garage and 60's pop. The better set of the two that day was in my opinion the one at Model Citizen. In the more intimate surroundings of Model Citizen, the band's energy was palpable and front-woman Johnson's enthusiasm was apparent as she got the crowd on-hand clapping. The band's debut full-length Desire’s Despair was released late 2012. In the end, it's only rock n' roll and from what I've heard, it's a fine effort.

Photos: Mise En Scene @ Sonic Boom, Toronto (March 22, 2013)
Photos: Mise En Scene @ Model Citizen, Toronto (March 22, 2013)
Facebook: Mise En Scene
Twitter: Mise En Scene
Bandcamp: Mise En Scene
Video: Mise En Scene - "Hey Velvet" (music video)

Canadian Musicfest - Aidan Knight @ Church Of The Holy Trinity, Toronto (March 22, 2013)

  Aidan Knight: photo by Michael Ligon

In past years, I'd normally take the Friday off from work just in case I had to recover from a late Thursday night during Canadian Musicfest but this year I was working. That I work in downtown Toronto worked to my advantage as I am down the street from Church Of The Holy Trinity which was featuring noon time sets on a few days during the festival. The noon time sets were hosted by CBC Music. I took a later lunch than usual and headed to the church for Victoria, BC singer songwriter Aidan Knight's 1:30 pm set. A small crowd filled the church's pews to take in the artist's set. He was backed with a band, with members on background vocals, keyboards, drums, violin, and the occasional brass (flugelhorn and trumpet), and Aidan either on guitar or banjo. Mr. Knight's songs were reminiscent of the folk-rock of Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers, both their hushed acoustic melancholia and more uptempo folk-rock. His quieter songs especially took full advantage of the church's exemplary acoustics. It wasn't a revelatory performance at all [God knows that indie-folk / folk-rock bands are a dime a dozen], but it was definitely a good first impression on me. Aidan's most recent full-length, Small Reveal, his second album, was released this past October and you can check it out at his Bandcamp page at the link below.

Photos: Aidan Knight @ Church Of The Holy Trinity, Toronto (March 22, 2013)
Facebook: Aidan Knight
Twitter: Aidan Knight
Bandcamp: Aidan Knight
Video: Aidan Knight - "Singer Songwriter" (Live on Exclaim! TV)

Canadian Musicfest - Alba Lua @ Silver Dollar, Toronto (March 21, 2013)

  Alba Lua: photo by Michael Ligon

Bordeaux, France is known for it's fine wines but if there's any justice, word will spread about young four-piece Alba Lua. The band explains their name as ʻa Spanish-Portuguese association that means the "moon of the dawn"- it describes that moment when something appears in some place where it shouldn't, and what first seems out of the blue shows in fact a real beauty.ʼ(via sxsw.com) Originally a three-piece comprised of Pepo Durantez (lead-vox and rhythm guitar) Pascal Hoerner (lead guitar, backing vox and bass) and Renoi Jacob Mathieu (drums and percussion) when they released their debut EP Ballad of Joseph Merrick back in 2010, the band's now a four-piece and if were to deduce correctly, that fourth member must have been the gent on the Roland keyboard. This was the band's second and last set of the festival [the previous night, they had played an early set at Czechovski] and since there wasn't much of interest in bands / artists I wanted to check out that Thursday night, and given that Albu Lua had made my long list of bands to perhaps check out during Canadian Musicfest, I headed over to the Silver Dollar to check out their early set. Thankfully there was a small and just large enough group of people on hand to make the band feel welcome. Lead vocalist Pepo Durantez' face was for most of the night covered by his shaggy hair, with a cowboy hat atop his head, and that look made sense especially given the downtempo country-twinged, pop that began the set. Durantez' sang in a higher range that reminded me of Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, and yes the Lips' psych-pop influences are there, but there were also elements of jangle, dream-pop and shoegaze with bands from Luna, Slowdive, and Deerhunter coming to mind. Initially I wasn't particularly fond of Durantez' vocals - I almost felt there was some sort of pretense behind it - but as the set went on, I realized how consistently melodic the songs were. The band pulled out some pedal steel guitar near the end and even delved into some Spiritualized-ish dissonance. As much as they reminded me of other bands, they distinguished themselves enough, especially with their grasp of melody, for me to appreciate them on their own merit. Alba Lua recently signed a record deal with Roy Music from Paris so look out for a release in the future.(via)

Photos: Alba Lua @ Silver Dollar, Toronto (March 21, 2013)
Facebook: Alba Lua
Twitter: Alba Lua
Soundcloud: Alba Lua
Video: Alba Lua - "Valley of Abra" (music video)

Canadian Musicfest - Mount Moriah @ Drake Underground, Toronto (March 20, 2013)

  Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah: photo by Michael Ligon

After seeing Diana's set at the Mod Club, I could have just stuck around to see headliners, chvrches, a sold-out show as it was but I chose instead to hoof it down to the Drake Hotel to check out Durham, North Carolina country-rock band Mount Moriah. I first discovered them when I saw them at last year's CMJ festival in New York City when they played a Merge Records showcase (the label having released the band's second album, and their first for Merge, entitled Miracle Temple)and was quite taken by them so when I found out they were coming to Toronto for CMW and for their first ever show here, I penciled them in immediately. Consisting of the core duo of guitarist Jenks Miller and singer Heather McEntire (who met back in 2007 while both working in a record store in Chapel Hill; via Spin) as well as bassist Casey Toll and drummer James Wallace, the group humbly took the stage to a disappointingly thin audience numbering no more than thirty by my estimate. That disappointment aside, the group played an impressive set of Southern-fried country-rock that brimmed with a dark undercurrent, and if we were a quiet audience, and did not even edge closer to the stage on McEntire's encouragement, they didn't hold it against us. The band did their genre well, but most of my appreciation for them lay in vocalist Heather McEntire. McEntire's edgy haircut (think Tegan and Sara) belied a voice with a southern drawl straight from Emmylou Harris able to express heartache on quieter numbers and to belt it out with a spunkiness like a little firecracker on some uptempo tunes. McEntire's banter included the occasional "shucks" as she stated that they were from the south..."south of the south". I've heard of Southern charm, and she really had it. The band's date at the Drake was part of their extensive North American tour that they're on until at least the end of the June; the band were in Montreal for a show the day after and therefore could not have been booked for more dates during Canadian Musicfest. Hopefully, the next time the band hit Toronto, the word will have spread about the band and they will play to more people. Till then, I will maintain my bragging rights that me and and a small group of us caught the band's first ever show in Toronto.

Photos: Mount Moriah @ Drake Underground, Toronto (March 20, 2013)
Facebook: Mount Moriah
Twitter: Mount Moriah
Bandcamp: Mount Moriah
Video: Mount Moriah - "Bright Light" (music video)

Canadian Musicfest - Diana @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club, Toronto (March 20, 2013)

  Carmen Elle of Diana: photo by Michael Ligon

For all the criticisms directed towards Canadian Music Week / Canadian Musicfest, some of which I must agree with, I've taken it as a challenge to sift through the schedule and choose acts who are mostly unknown to me, that pique my interest and will hopefully deliver if I do end up checking out their set. I was less inclined this year to doing the festival hardcore but was more focused on catching at least a few acts a day. I took in the festival from Wednesday to Saturday and managed to catch a number of bands that really delivered the goods.

The festival kicked off quietly on Tuesday March 19 but was in full gear by the night after which is the night choose to begin. Although originally I had plans earlier in the evening to check out Swiss singer-songwriter Heidi Happy at Supermarkert, I had a change of heart and decided choose locals, Diana, instead. Fortunately, I had come early (although, not too early) enough to get in with my media wristband with no problems and without lining up in the cold. There was a bit of confusion (to put it politely) with a scrum of media wristbands, myself included, not initially being let in to the venue itself, but after a few minutes, things were sorted out and we were let in. Four-piece outfit Diana were a mysterious band that I believe quietly surfaced last summer but then started to build some hype around the time I went to CMJ in New York City in October. Diana were apparently at CMJ but I didn't even know who they were. Now I'm more in the know, aware that the band consists of Carmen Elle (Army Girls), Kieran Adams (Warm Myth and Bonjay), Joseph Shabason (Destroyer), and Paul Mathew (Hidden Cameras), and with a background like that and with what little I'd read about them, I was immediately interested even though I don't think I'd heard a note of their music. The band's soulful, electro-pop made me think of a cross between M83 meets Wham, with the band's drum / bass / guitar foundation augmented with their scintillating melodies, supple drum-pad electro-beats, whirring Roland synths and the occasional saxophone. Amidst stage light hues of mostly red and blue, the band were interesting to watch, most of it due to frontwoman Carmen Elle's subtle swagger onstage. I hadn't quite connected with the guitar / drums, pop-rock duo-ism of Carmen's other project Army Girls, but her current participation with Diana, I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed immensely. They're apparently working on a album to be released this year - as to when it'll be released, isn't known - but they do have a vinyl 12" of their song "Born Again" which is available for order (check out their Soundcloud page below).

Photos: Diana @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club, Toronto (March 20, 2013)
Facebook: Diana
Soundcloud: Diana

Canadian Musicfest Picks (2013)

Another edition of Canadian Musicfest (the music showcase component of Canadian Music Week) quietly kicked off yesterday evening but it gets into full gear tonight. I've gone through the list of artists, skimming bios, listening to audio, checking out videos, what-have-you, and have cobbled together a long list of artists that I found interesting, both from abroad, and from our own fair country / city. On a side note, I must mention that the whole process of 'researching' who I might be interested in seeing is an entirely un-fun experience - it's long, boring, and tiring - but in the end it pays off. Like the Boy Scouts motto goes - be prepared. I've also learned there's an inordinate amount of folk / roots acts taking part in the festival, so many that I almost want to strangle someone, but that's another story. There is no way in heck I'm going to catch all of these artists - I haven't even gotten around to laying out an actual schedule, and I already know there's some overlap with some of my picks. Most of the picks below are artists I've never even heard, and the buzz-factor of bands playing this festival is much lower compared to Toronto's own North By Northeast (which happens in June) but traditionally I've taken this as an opportunity to try to discover new music and hopefully keep the stink quotient to a minimum. Be sure to check out my picks below as well as the individual artist sites where there are audio / video samples:

Aidan Knight (Victoria, BC)
Friday March 22, 2013 @ 1:30PM, Church of the Holy Trinity
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 10:10PM, Horseshoe Tavern

A singer-songwriter and also namesake of a experimental folk band.

Alba Lua (paris, france)
Wednesday March 20, 2013 @ 8:00PM, Czehoski
Thursday March 21, 2013 @ 9:00PM, Silver Dollar

Favourably reviewed on Pitchfork, the band's helium-voiced lead singer leads the trio in their supple brand of warm, hazy pop music.

badbadnotgood (Toronto, ON)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 12:10AM, Horseshoe Tavern

The young free-jazz, hip-hop influenced, groove trio can almost be classified as festival veterans having played Coachella, NXNE and others and have collobarated with Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean. I've always meant to check them out.

Ballroom Jacks (New York City, New York)
Friday March 22, 2013 @ 10:00PM, Annex Live

Scruffy trio from the streets of New York City (Queens that is) playing music that medls "1960's American girl groups, Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, and the aesthetic of new wave 80's music" in a not so unappealing way.

Beams (Toronto, ON)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 9:00 PM, Silver Dollar

Multi-harmony, banjo-laden, musical saw twinged, folk and bluegrass.

Boats (Winnipeg, MB)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 12:00AM, Rancho Relaxo

Comparisons to The New Pornographers, the band's third album of 'hooky pop songs' entitled "A Fairway Full Of Miners" just came out through Kill Rock Stars recently.

Boy (Hamburg, Germany) Updated
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 4:30 PM, HMV (333 Yonge St.), acoustic performance and autograph session
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 11:00PM, El Mocambo (Upstairs)
Sunday March 24, 2013 @ 10:00PM, The Dakota Tavern

Female pop duo founded in 2007, comparisons to Feist, yadda yadda, yadda yadda. That said, what I've heard from them is sunny and charming. And they're cute to boot.

The Breezes (Montreal, QC)
Thursday March 21, 2013 @ 8:30 PM, Horseshoe Tavern

Psych-pop goodness, the band's debut album self-titled album was released independently this past December.

Castle-if/Cell Memory (Toronto, ON)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 10:00PM, Comfort Zone

These locals might just be too cool for school to me, but I might perhaps satiate my more experimental tastes by taking in their set. What I've heard is sort of trippy.

Charlotte Church (Wales, United Kingdom)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ :PM, El Mocambo (Downstairs)

Yes, that Charlotte Church. The girl's grown up, still has amazing vocals but now is backed by a band with a much edgier musical approach than you've heard her or ever imagined. Quite spectacular actually.

CHVRCHES (Glasgow, Scotland)
Wednesday March 20, 2013 @ 10:00 PM, Virgin Mobile Mod Club

Electro-pop trio with guitars and synths, reviews on Pitchfork, you know you want to see them. Advanced tickets to their set are sold out but there'll be tickets, and presumably limited wristbands/passes, let in at the door.

Decades (Toronto, ON)
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 9:00 PM, Lee's Palace

I've seen the band a few times recently in an opening slot and was somewhat invigorated from what I'd heard - a lead singer with maybe just a little bit of a Morrissey influence, fronting a band whose music takes an ethereal, post-punk yet melodic direction.

Diana (Toronto, ON)
Wednesday March 20 @ 9:00 PM, Virgin Mobile Mod Club

Apparently a band I should check out according to sites like BlogTo. The band consists of Carmen Elle (Army Girls), Kieran Adams (Warm Myth and Bonjay), Joseph Shabason (Destroyer), and Paul Mathew (Hidden Cameras).

Fine Times (Vancouver, BC)
Friday March 22 @ 9:00 PM, Supermarket
Saturday March 23 @ 2:00 AM, Sneaky Dee's

The duo, their name perhaps a take on the New Order LP "Fine Time", play synth-infused, melodic rock.

First Rate People (Toronto, ON)
Thursday March 21 @ 9:00 PM, Annex Live

The band's first single was reviewed by Pitchfork back in 2010, garnering a favourable review. Been meaning to check them out. They released a new single entitled "You Won't Get This Joke At All" just recently.

Ginger and the Ghost (Sydney, Australia)
Wednesday March 20 @ 10:30 PM, El Mocambo (Upstairs)

I hear traces of Kate Bush in this male/female duo's music, while lead singer Missy has a penchance for visual flamboyance and colourfulness similar to Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp.

Heidi Happy (Lucerne, Switzerland)
Wednesday March 20, 2013 @ 8:00PM, Supermarket
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 10:00PM, Cameron House - Backroom

The Scandinavian singer-songwriter I believe played last year's festival (or was it NXNE?) and has returned, presumably because she likes Toronto. What I've heard falls in line with breezy Scandinavian pop like The Cardigans, good stuff if you're into that.

Jesuslesfilles (Montreal, QC)
Saturday March 23 @ 1:00 AM, Silver Dollar

Franco-phone garage rock, featuring co-lead, male / female vocals. I liked this much better than I expected.

Let's Build Machines (Toronto, ON)
Friday March 22 @ 9:00 PM, Revival

Acoustic folk outfit The Wilderness of Manitoba's Will Whitwham, gets off his electro-pop cajones with this side project, with decent results.

Lowell (Toronto, ON)
Friday March 22, 2013 @ 9:30PM, Lee's Palace
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ 12:30PM, Church of the Holy Trinity
Saturday March 23, 2013 @ :PM, The Danforth Music Hall

The GridTO recently named the 21 year old as one to watch, already a fast-rising star in much of Europe at the same time never having even performed at home. The dates above will be her first proper live performances at home. She's a classicaly-trained pianist and her music has drawn comparisons to Lykke Li.

Maica Mia (Toronto, ON)
Friday March 22 @ 9:00 PM, Silver Dollar

Desolate, atmospheric, mood rock comes to mind as a description.

Mount Moriah (Durham, North Carolina)
Wednesday March 20 @ 11:00 PM, Drake Underground

I caught the female-led trio at last year's CMJ festival in New York City where they played a Merge Records showcase.The band's self-titled debut was re-released on Merge last October. The band's music merges American folk & rock music in a very appealing way.

Mozart's Sister (Montreal,QC)
Saturday March 23 @ 1:00 AM, Comfort Zone

From the Pop Montreal site, Mozart's sister are described as the "electro-pop solo project of Shapes & Sizes’s Caila Thompson of indie rock, new wave, 80s pop and a little R&B ting".

Mise En Scene (Winnipeg, MB) Updated
Thursday March 21 @ 11:00 PM, Bovine Sex Club
Friday March 22 @ 5:00 PM, Sonic Boom (782 Bathurst St), in-store (info)
Friday March 22 @ 8:15 PM, Model Citizen (279 Augusta Ave), in-store
Saturday March 23 @ 3:30-6PM, Goorin Bro’s Hat Shop (320 Queen St. West), in-store (info)

Not nearly as surfy as Best Coast nor indebted to 60's girl groups as Dum Dum Girls but yes this female guitar / drums duo will probably appeal to you if you're fans of those bands.

Ocean City Defender (Thunder Bay, ON Canada)
Wednesday March 20 @ 1:00 AM, Cabin 5

Comparisons to M83, and from Thunder Bay of all places. The outfit is the work of multi-instrumentalist K. Preston Merkley, his debut EP The Golden Hour was released in January of 2012.

Persian Rugs (Toronto, ON)
Friday March 22 @ 10:00 PM, Rancho Relaxo

Guitarist Ian Jackson of the defunct Toronto indie band The Diableros, took his guitar chops and formed Persian Rugs, a band whose love for C86 / Sarah Records-influenced indie pop is quite apparent.

Savages (London, England United Kingdom)
Friday March 22 @ 11:10 PM, Horseshoe Tavern
Saturday March 23 @ 12:00 AM, Lee's Palace

British all-female post-punk rock band who were one of the buzz bands of last year's CMJ festival in New York City, who I didn't get a chance to see when I was there. The band's debut album Silence Yourself is due out on Matador Records on May 7. (via Pitchfork)

Un (Montreal, QC)
Thursday March 21 @ 12:00 AM, Drake Underground

The female duo, consisting of Jen Reimer on drums and Kara Keith on vocals and 'other stuff', released their self-titled debut disc this past Valentines Day. Their icy, post-punk synth tunes remind me a little of Ladytron.

Valleys (Montreal,QC)
Saturday March 23 @ 10:00 PM, Lee's Palace

Elements of ambient, dreampop and electropop, they're hard to pin down, but quite interesting overall.

Vimes (Cologne, Germany)
Wednesday March 20, 2013 @ 10:00PM, Gladstone Hotel, (North Ballroom)
Thursday March 21, 2013 @ 10:00PM, Annex Live

Duo consisting of Azhar Syed and Julian Stetter specializing in electro-house music. Chilly Gonzales and Hot Chip are fans. (via Noisey)

Unlike last year's festival and the mild temperatures that the city got, this year looks to be a chilly one, so bundle up, don't forget your earplugs, grab your schedules and have a good festival!

Review -- Canadian Musicfest (Saturday March 24, 2012)

  ALX @ The Garrison: photo by Michael Ligon

For this year's Canadian Musicfest, Saturday wasn't the official last day of the festival [as Sunday night had a smattering of shows to close out the festival] but for many the Saturday night was the night to end things, and hopefully on a high note. That said, my Saturday night was a generally light one but that was fine by me.

Cooler temperatures than the previous milder nights, I made the decision to stay indoors as much as possible - club-hopping isn't fun when it's cold. With not much of an itinerary in mind for the night, I decided to forgo the first few primtetime hours of the night (between 9 and 11 pm) and instead of seeing bands, decided to take in one of the music films screening as part of the film festival component of Canadian Music Week. The film screening was entitled Girl Walk // All Day. The following information about the film is taken from the film's website:

"Girl Walk // All Day is a feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration that follows three dancers across New York City. They turn the city's sidewalks, parks, and architecture into an evolving stage as they spread their joy of movement.

The film is about self-discovery and love, and it's a tale about finding community and vitality in shared public spaces. The idea for this project emerged from our desire to expand the boundaries of the single-track music video, to an epic music film.

Girl Walk // All Day is set to All Day, the album by mash-up musician Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk)."

I enjoyed this very much on many levels. As a love letter to NYC, it made me want to go back so bad - this film has to be seen on a big screen. The pop, hip-hop mash-up soundtrack of Girl Talk brought the dance segments on screen to life. Overall, the film expressed happiness and joy of life. There was one scene that said it all - when dancer Anne Marsen while dancing approached unknowing passersby on the streets, one Orthodox Jewish gentleman questioned why she was dancing, in which she replied "Because she is happy" and which in turn the gentleman replied back "You should always be happy".

Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 1: School's Out
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 2: All Aboard
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 3: It Goes Like This
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 4: Enter The Gentleman
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 5: Chinatown Hustle
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 6: The Creep Takes New York
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 7: High and Low
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 8: Shopping Spree
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 9: When Dancers Collide
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 10: Dance With Me
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 11: Chain Reaction
Video: Girl Walk // All Day - Chapter 12: For The People

After that good start to the night, I headed to the Garrison to catch Toronto's Allie Hughes, whose new electro-pop project was entitled ALX. I'd actually not seen Miss Hughes live although I vaguely recall her in the CBC television program "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" in which she sang a cover of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet". From that I was aware of her vocal talents but I didn't quite expect the transformation she undertook for ALX. First impressions will most obviously point to fellow Toronto artist Katie Stelmanis who transformed into a electro-goth diva for her current project Austra. If we're to compare ALX to Austra however, ALX is decidely more disco. But rather question her motives, let's just take ALX as a new outlet for Miss Hughes talents. For their second show ever (as Allie announced), it wasn't without it's problems. There were some technical difficulties with one of the synths shutting out, during which the rest of the band continued to play through until the problem was solved. Musically, Allie was in fine vocal form but I didn't find every song as stellar as I'd hoped. I still think Allie might be working out her stage presence as a disco diva - the writhing on the floor's stage, while it may have been a spontaneous act, just felt a bit forced. The band have a song entitled "I Will Love You More" up on YouTube and available for free download on their BandCamp which I think is terrific. If they can work out the kinks and develop a good live set, I will most definitely look forward to seeing them live the next time.

Capping off my Canadian Musicfest this year was, Chapel Hill, NC's Last Year's Men who were capping off a three-night stint at the Silver Dollar. For a Saturday night, it was a surprisingly light crowd at the Silver Dollar, but the young group paid no attention to that and played as if they were rocking a full-house. For fun, the drummer had a blond wig on, with the bassist wearing an old-school, full-length sleeping gown, and the main vocalist wearing a black, robber's mask. There was also a fourth guy on guitar sporting sunglasses and a moustache. Aside from the efforts of one young lady near the end of the set to try to start some slam dancing, the crowd on hand didn't quite get in to it as I'd hoped. The band's music, a mix of 50's / 60's melodies with an infusion of punk / garage sensibilities was at time balls out rock n' roll but there were at times, a few slower tempos. For such a young band, I'm curious as to how the band found this musical direction. Overall it was a good energetic set from the band, ending off their set with a smashed guitar, some spilled beer, and the bassist exposing himself to us. All in the name of rock n' roll.

And so there it was. 17 acts, 1 film over the course of 4 days. Until next year Canadian Musicfest.

PHOTOS: Canadian Musicfest (Saturday March 24, 2012)
BandCamp: ALX
MySpace: Last Year's Men

Review -- Canadian Musicfest (Friday March 23, 2012)

  Spoek Mathambo @ The Great Hall: photo by Michael Ligon

As it turned it out, the third day of Canadian Musicfest was purely spontaneous on my part. I had made picks for the night but really hadn't thought out an itinerary for the day, although with having the day off from work I made somewhat of an effort to check out some of the day shows.

The daytime lineup over at The Toronto Institute For The Enjoyment of Music was somewhat up my alley but I got downtown later than expected and so instead chose to take in some daytime sessions, where else but the Eaton Centre. Clothing Store French Connection in conjunction with local band promoters Audio Blood Media were hosting a few artists playing acoustic sets as part of the festival. An interesting choice of venue but ultimately it didn't seem like many people were interested given the low turnout. Toronto pop outfit Hands & Teeth, ignored the light crowd (which was really just me and a few others) and began their set. Playing acoustically (guitar, percussion, Charles Pump Organ), they were quite a bit different sounding than their electric version, with a folky quality emphasized through the band's penchant for vocal harmonies. As things went on, the band were successful in drawing some shoppers / passersby to come in to the store and check them out. The band's Jeff Pinto on the Charles Pump Organ [I asked a member of the band what the name of the instrument was] took a swipe at lead vocals sounding a bit like Bob Dylan, but it was the songs sung by lone female member Natasha Pasternak that were more successful. Call me a sucker for attractive tuneful female vocals. The band has several releases available, the most recent being 2012's Hunting Season, all of which are available through the band's BandCamp site.

Next up to perform on the same stage [well actually the same space on French Connection's floor] were Toronto band The Archives. Again, because they were playing acoustically (just the vocals of Will Gooch plus bassist Anthony Menecola and guitarist Crispin Day) they sounded much more stripped down than their usual plugged-in electric, melodic rock sound. If the crowd was virtually non-existent at this point, except for me, a few band-related persons, the store staff, and a few other stragglers, the band did an admirable job of ignoring that and performing well. The stripped-down nature of the set illustrated they have musical chops and solid songs even if for the most part it wasn't my thing. Good job, nonetheless.

Still early with a whole night a head of me, I decided I was ready for another instore and so headed over to Sonic Boom to check out The Inbreds. I arrived as the duo [bassist/vocalist Mike O'Neill and drummer Dave Ullrich] were already a song or two into their set, with a good-sized crowd in attendance. This was a warm-up for their proper Canadian Musicfest / comeback show which was the next night at Lee's Palace so the set was understandably brief but they of course couldn't leave without playing their biggest 'hit' "Any Sense of Time" which they saved for last. What a jolt of nostalgia that was. It was 1996 all over again - those were the days.

I'd originally headed to the Horseshoe Tavern to catch Snowblink's 8 pm set but getting into the venue and then waiting around for a few minutes, then realizing that they were already half an hour behind schedule [it was already 8:30 pm at this point] with no sign they'd be coming on soon, I decided to bail and instead headed to Lee's Palace for the 9 pm set of Australian duo's Big Scary. I arrived to the venue after 9 pm with the band already into their set playing to a sparse but appreciative audience. Far more versatile than I expected, they were neither just the poppy indie duo I'd heard ["The Apple Song"] nor a garage-rock act a la The White Stripes that you might imagine, but over the course of the three or four songs I heard, they displayed these various influences generally through their guitar-drums (sometimes keyboards-drums) instrumentation. One of my more interesting discoveries of this year's festival.

The evening portion of the night was centered on me checking out South African hip-hop / r n b artist Spoek Mathambo who was playing The Great Hall at 11 pm and as it turned out I decided to make things easy for myself and just plant myself at The Great Hall for the whole night. It'd been several years since I'd seen Edmonton rapper Cadence Weapon perform live and not much has changed. His combination of old-school rap flow and what I could only described as fucked-up beats is still omnipresent. Assisting him with the beats was a dude who looked like a blonde version of The Cure's Robert Smith. The set was filled with mostly new songs. Making a shout out to the 1059! crew (so-named for the Toronto address 1059 Bathurst where many a secret show was hosted and of which Cadence Weapon had performed on occasion), performed a song called "Loft Party". There was a good energy in the room throughout the set and it seems many are looking forward to his new album Hope in Dirt City which'll drop soon.

The most anticipated act for me this night was South African afro-hip-hop artist, the colourfully-named Spoek Mathambo fresh from his appearance at this year's SXSW. Samples I'd heard of his on YouTube gave me the impression of an artist who fused old-school (hip-hop) / old-world (African) influences with a modern sensibility, similar to the approach of an artist such as M.I.A. With his mostly South African band plus one gentleman(on sax) who I believe was from San Francisco, that old-school/new-school fusion was definitely present (especially in their twitchy cover of Joy Division's "Control" which they played near the end) but the live set in general seemed to emphasize the organic approach(drum, guitar, bass, horns) much like The Roots brand of hip hop when they play live. While Mathambo's elder musical stateman Saul Williams was the headliner of the night, Mathambo and could easily have headlined had there been a need for him to. It was a fully-charged set from Mathambo and crew, with the crowd very much into as well. A successful outing all around, which should do him well if and when he returns to Toronto.

I'd considered ducking out to check another set at another venue {I think it was Toronto's Badbadnotgood @ Wrongbar) but then reconsidered because I realized I'll have more opportunities to see Badbadnotgood live but although I wasn't at all familiar with Saul Williams, what I'd read of him intrigued me, and this perhaps might be the only opportunity I'd get to see him live. Just a little background, but according to the first sentence from the Wikipedia entry on him, Saul Williams is "...an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam." Prior to his emergence onstage, a colourful-looking gentleman who I think was his DJ hyped up the crowd with an old-school mix of hip-hop blaring from the PA system. From the onset, Mr. Williams was hyped up and determined to hype up the crowd, beating away on a percussive instrument with what I believe was a mallet. The R n B, soul, funk, jazz, hip-hop, and rock influences that all contributed to his music was really just the basis for Mr. Williams himself, as confident and capable as soulful vocalist as he was with his spoken-word, def poetry jam contributions. What was so impressive especially about his def poetry jam capabilities was the amount of words that went into those compositions and even more impressive that Williams was able to memorize it all. It was quite apparent from the performance why Saul Williams is held up in such high regard with many artists and musicians, even though he is not nearly as well-known with the general public. Quite the experience, and one I highly recommend.

PHOTOS: Canadian Musicfest (Friday March 23, 2012)
MySpace: Hands & Teeth
MySpace: The Archives
MySpace: The Inbreds
MySpace: Big Scary
MySpace: Cadence Weapon
MySpace: Spoek Mathambo
MySpace: Saul Williams

Review -- Canadian Musicfest (Thursday March 22, 2012)

  Cold Specks @ The Music Gallery: photo by Michael Ligon

The second night of this year's Canadian Musicfest had even milder weather than the night before, so nice in fact that on top of me not having to work the next day, it made me long even more for summer to come. Surprisingly, though I wasn't working the next day, I surprisingly had a very light Canadian Musicfest planned for the evening. My night was centered around the Cold Specks show at The Music Gallery at 9 pm and I'd also planned on checking out Chinese singer-songwriter Helen Feng's electro dance-pop solo project Nova Heart at 11 pm at Comfort Zone but had nothing else on tap for the rest of the evening.

I figured after work I'd head down to Sonic Boom for their Canadian Musicfest instore sessions. I was almost certain that I'd miss most if not all of Miss Martha Wainwright's set (which in fact I did miss all of it) but coming up next after her was a set by Upstate New York's Simone Felice of The Felice Brothers, a band I'd vaguely heard of and had heard good things about but had not ever heard. With a few hours to kill before the Cold Specks show I headed to Sonic Boom and arrived just a little in to Mr. Felice's set. From Mechanical Forest Sound's account, there'd been a good crowd on hand for Martha Wainwright, so it was a real shame to see how sparse the audience was for Mr. Felice. With two drummers, and members on backup vox and slide guitar, and Mr. Felice on acoustic guitar, the group performed a good set of melodic, country-rock tunes. Felice's backup vocalist Simi Stone (who also performed with Felice in his more recent band project, the more glam / soul influenced The Duke and The King) was a particular highlight, especially on the last song of the set, with her expressive, bright, vocal style. And as the last song winded down, and Felice and Stone smiled and made eye contact with each other, I couldn't help feel how terrific that was. Too bad more people weren't there.

I figure I had another half hour or so before heading down early to The Music Gallery for Cold Specks so I decided to stick around for Toronto's Great Bloomers who were up next. I'd never seen the band live although I'd had an opportunity several years back when they performed at an NXNE kick-off party at the Distillery District which I'd not stuck around for. In my mind, I'd pegged them as a country-rock act (I think based on reviews I may have read about the band in the past) akin to say Oshawa's Cuff The Duke but that isn't entirely an accurate description of the band's music. Although they were all new songs to me, Great Bloomers' vocalist Lowell Sostomi did inform the crowd [which had inflated to a healthy size almost without me noticing] that much of their set night were new songs. There was certainly a countrified pop sound to some of it but also a certain heaviness - this ain't no bluegrass. While the band looks young, they were surprisingly tight and competent musicians and even moreso was I impressed with the songwriting and melodies. I also loved that they performed a cover of Television's "See No Evil". I look forward to seeing the band live again and with their recent signing to Canadian indie label Dine Alone Records who are set to release their sophomore full-length this year, I wish them much success. Look out for Sostomi on the streets of T.O. - he said he lived in the neighbourhood and offered some advice of how well plopping a hundred bucks on some records can help one feel better, rightfully giving props to the store for sponsoring the festivities that day.

I decided to head down a little early to The Music Gallery to secure a place in line for Al Spx aka Cold Specks. With the 23-year old recent signee to Arts & Crafts, who'd been hyped up by the British music press and has already performed live on Later With Jools Holland in the UK, I was expecting the show to be one of the hotter tickets (well actually it was a wristband-only show, but you know what I mean). Having arrived at the venue about a half hour before the 8:30 pm doors, I was surprised to find a small random group of people loitering around the courtyard. A proper line hadn't even formed. As 8:30 approached more people did arrive and as the buzz of the crowd arriving seemed to louden, they let open the doors letting people in finally. We we corralled in the lobby area of the building to enjoy a drink or two, seemingly until capacity for the show was reached and then we were let into the church to fill the pews, waiting with anticipation for the show to start. With only a few samples available on the internet, I'd like what I heard, her old-time, gospel/spiritual influenced blues. I hadn't expected it but she had a bad in tow, including a drummer, guitarist, cellist and a saxophonist. Full-sounding at times, but at others skeletal fragments of percussion and strings, what remained most impressive overall was Cold Specks soulful, spiritual vocals made all the more stunning within the pristine acoustics of the church. This is what shows at The Music Gallery are made for. Although her banter was minimal, she was also charming and humorous at times, even hamming it up for the crowd with a surprisingly soulful yet still playful version of "The Theme From Fresh Prince of Bel Air". She finished off the night with a quick encore done accapella, solidfying her as my highlight and perhaps the highlight of many others in attendance, of this year's Canadian Musicfest. Having performed a good amount of songs throughout the hour-or-so long set, I'm guessing these will appear on her debut full-length in the future.

Nothing may have been able to top that set that night but the set by Nova Heart at the Comfort Zone was a worthy closer to my evening. Led by vocalist Helen Feng, with a guitarist, a bassist and pre-programmed dance beats, it was an enticing set of sinewy guitar, pulsating bass lines, and sultry vocals and dance beats. While it was a small crowd on hand, it was a little less noticeable perhaps given how dark it was inside the venue, with only a bit of blue/red light illuminating the trio onstage. Of all the frontpersons of the acts I'd seen during this year's festival, Feng practically outshined all of them with her energy and stage presence, her writhing to the beats, her at-times cooing vocals and other-times banshee-like screams. Book-ended on either side of her were her guitarist and bassist, the guitarist who seemed to be in perpetual shoegaze stance and her bassist in robotic bass plucking mode. It was the latter playing off the dance beats quite nicely which provided the groups' songs their groove. Quite a disappointment that there weren't more people on-hand for this. I'd have imagined they'd have rocked the Wrongbar crowd had they been booked at that venue instead. Props to Dan Burke for bringing them to Comfort Zone anyway.

PHOTOS: Canadian Musicfest (Thursday March 22, 2012)
Myspace: Simone Felice
Myspace: Great Bloomers
Myspace: Cold Specks
Myspace: Nova Heart

Review -- Canadian Musicfest (Wednesday March 21, 2012)

  Sea+Air @ The Painted Lady: photo by Michael Ligon

Another year's edition of Canadian Music Week / Canadian Musicfest has come and gone and one of the most striking aspects of this year's edition as how mild the weather was. It was pretty much the mildest weather for Canadian Musicfest I've ever experienced to the point it almost felt like NXNE. Consider that, in stark contrast several years back, The Breeders, who were on their reunion tour stopped in during Canadian Music Week to play a show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, right smack dab during a blizzard (well, heavy snowfall). While the weather was on our side, the major criticism of this year's festival was how less enticing the lineup was. To some extent I'd agree, but on the other hand, with a little research and a little luck I think I caught a good percentage of good to great acts. All's well that end well. Over the next week or so I'll be posting my reviews of each night of Canadian Musicfest, so stay tuned. Now let's begin.

Somehow I'd confused the Cold Specks show at The Music Gallery to be on the first night of the festival (Wednesday March 21, 2012) and after work killed time for a few hours until later on in the evening to head over to The Music Gallery. Little did I realize that the show was actually the NEXT night (after consulting the internet on my phone). Fortunately I did have other options for the night and so proceeded with those.

First stop of the night was, the Cameron House backroom which all these years I'd never been to. Already into their set when I arrived was Toronto's LOOM, aka singer-songwriter Brooke Manning. Playing with two other members as a trio, with Brooke on vocals/guitar, the songs were full of ebb-and-flow sonic washes of keys, strings, guitar and vocals. The vocals/lyrics weren't to the extent of being inaudible but Brooke's laidback timbre did definitely possess a quality of being another instrument in the mix. Given the intimate-sized venue thankfully people did come out early to catch her. Pretty at times, and more difficult listening at others [it wasn't always as melodic as I would hope], but it was definitely intriguing music.

Fortunately, I didn't have to travel at all to catch my second pick of the night which was Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs Kuijken whose band name is I Am Oak. And while later on in the set he would mention to the audience that he usually performs with a band, for this set he was playing solo with just him on acoustic guitar. A slim, bespectacled gentleman, dressed casually in a plaid shirt and light jeans, his set of acoustic, folk-ish tunes were in my opinion several notches above what could be easily have been dull material. Lyrically as well as Kuijken's acoustic guitar playing were great overall but my only criticsm really was that vocally Kuijken's nasal vocals, quite adamantly located midrange in the vocal spectrum, made the whole set blend into each other. It's a similar effect when I listen to someone like Mark Kozelek for example, if that's any help. On a non-music note, Kuijken humoured the audience with his observations like how less hectic CMW was compared to SXSW (but in a good way), how QUIET the audience was and how POLITE Canadians are, how he brought too many sweaters on his trip and not enough socks and that he bought socks earlier in the day and asking us if we have any pigeons in Toronto, that last query being in reference to a song he had just song which was I believe above doves or birds or something.

After a comfortable stay at the Cameron House, the venue-hopping portion of the night began as I jumped on the streetcar to head to westward to The Painted Lady on Ossington Ave. to see German duo Sea + Air. The Painted Lady one of the city's most intimate venues, I'd expected it to be comfortably packed like when I saw when I saw Australia's Dead Letter Chorus there at last year's Canadian Musicfest. The venue was by no stretch empty but there was a little more elbow room this time compared to when I was there last year. The duo comprised of Daniel Benjamin on vocals / guitar /drums and Eleni on vocals / keyboards performed material with a sensitive, baroque pop quality, with Eleni's intricate keyboard arrangements and Daniel's forlorn vocals. A little sombre at times, but then again the duo showed their versatility especially when Daniel switched to the drumkit eventually segueing into a bombastic drum performance that reminded me a lot of Toronto's own Paul Banwatt of Rural Alberta Advantage. It took me by surprise, as well as a few others. It was an enjoyable if brief performance. Daniel did have a few humourous bits of banter including calling their album at the merch table the best thing to come out of Germany in 40 years and then later on informing the audience about their upcoming Canadian tour which'll take them to good cities like Saskatoon; for some reason that last part drew a chuckle from a few audience members.

I'd intended to call it a night, but with the mild weather, the time still being before 11 pm, and finally with my energy level still being pretty good for a Wednesday night (even with having to work the next day) I decided it might be a good idea to try to check out one more set. I decided to check out Toronto's Young Empires who were playing The Great Hall Basement not too far from The Painted Lady. I'd never been to the basement venue of The Great Hall before. A somewhat dingier venue than The Great Hall's upper level facilities, it was a more than appropriate setting for an electro-dance-rock party. I arrived there just as psych-rock outfit Krief were finishing up and after some time setting up, Young Empires finally took to the stage. The venue was a little-less than half-full when I arrived but did fill up more by the time Young Empires reached the stage. To capitalize on their recent wave of success (the release of their first EP, recent radio-play, touring and such), the band and especially frontman Matthew Vlahovich exuded energy on stage to try to get the crowd along for the ride and yes there were definitely some who were really into it. However, in my opinion, there's a quality on record that doesn't quite translate onstage. Their best song, in my opinion, is still "White Doves" which on record has a quality that I imagine should rev up even a Glastonbury-sized audience but then hearing it live (and this time being the third time I've seen the band) it just doesn't match up to those euphoric expectations. The band's strength, in my opinion, lies in their musical direction, their fusion of electronic, rock and pop influences somewhat mirroring one of my favourite acts of all-time, New Order. But with only an EP's worth of material, with most of it ranging from alright to decent but not matching the greatness of "White Doves", the band are off to a good start but still have a long way to go. I wish them luck.

PHOTOS: Canadian Musicfest (Wednesday March 21, 2012)

Canadian Musicfest Picks (2012)

It's that time of year again when music festival season kicks off in Toronto with Canadian Music Week and it's music series Canadian Musicfest starting tonight. Time and time again, CMF has failed to live up to the excitement and anticipation of Toronto's other city-wide music festival North By Northeast which happens in June and seems to get better with each passing year. And if CMF hasn't been on par with NXNE, it's not to say it has nothing to offer. I'm sure with a little research and a little luck, one's bound to uncover a gem or two, and that's generally been my experience with most Canadian Music Week / Canadian Musicfests in the past. I perceive a general apathy towards this year's lineup based on the chatter over social media and with Canadian Musicfest this year happening the week after Austin's SXSW (the mother of all city-wide, multi-venue music festivals), it goes further to emphasize how modest Canadian Musicfest really is. But with the festival about to kick off, I finally buckled down and researched / sampled the list of artists participating in this year's festival and here are the one's I am recommending:

Bear Hands
Fri Mar 23 (midnight) -- Sneaky Dee's (Young Lions Music Club Showcase)
Video: Bear Hands - "Crime Pays"

Obviously not deterred by whether band names derived from names of animals are still in vogue, this Brooklyn, NYC outfit's sound seems catered to the indie rock crowd.

I Am Oak
Wed Mar 21 (9 pm) -- Cameron House, Backroom
Thu Mar 22 (8 pm) -- The Ossington
Sat Mar 24 (8 pm) -- Cabin 5 (Filter Magazine Showcase)
Video: I Am Oak - "Curt" (live)

What I've sampled of this Dutch folkie [his real name being Thijs Kuijken] with acoustic guitar seems more than pleasant enough. His moniker is actually the name of the band but I'm not actually sure if he plays with a band. I guess this is where things get confusing.

Voltaire Twins
Fri Mar 23 (9 pm) -- Wrongbar (present by Union Events)
Fri Mar 23 (midnight) -- Painted Lady
Sat Mar 24 (3:50 pm) -- El Mocambo, Upstairs (Aussie BBQ, Sounds Australia and Stage Mothers)
Video: Voltaire Twins - "Animalia" (music video)

Aussie synth-pop duo Voltaire Twins are made up of siblings Jaymes and Tegan and they create voluptuous electro-pop confections from what I've sampled. Their Romulus EP was released late last year and is available on iTunes.

LOOM
Wed Mar 21 (8 pm) -- Cameron House, Backroom
Thu Mar 22 (9 pm) -- The Ossington
Video: Loom - "Eypllion" (teaser 1)
Video: Loom - "Eypllion" (teaser 2)

The moniker of Toronto's Brooke Manning, LOOM straddles the line between indie-folk sensibilities and a willingness to experiment with other sonic textures with intriguing results.

Nova Heart
Thu Mar 22 (11 pm) -- Comfort Zone
Video: Nova Heart - "Lackluster No. 3" (Takeaway Show for La Blogotheque)

How could you not like or at least have your interest piqued by a band whose name is the same as the song-title of a Canadian new wave classic? The project is the solo effort of Helen Feng, born in Beijing but raised in the US and Canada and who's already had an illustrious music career in China since 2002 when she was hired as VJ for MTV China. La Blogotheque shot a Takeaway Session with her recently [see the link above] and given their impeccable musical tastes plus the fact that I was impressed with Nova Heart's Takeaway Session I'm looking forward to checking them out.

Housse De Racket
Sat Mar 24 (11 pm) -- Wrongbar
Video: Housse De Racket - "Chateau" (music video)

The Parisian duo, with incestuous musical ties to their fellow musical countrymen, having been in-demand session musicians-for-hire with Air and Phoenix, are following in their footsteps with their own electro-pop music creations. Already on album #2 entitled Alesia, could this be the band's breakout year?

BadBadNotGood
Fri Mar 23 (midnight) -- Wrongbar
Video: BadBadNotGood - "The Odd Future Sessions Part 1"

A free-jazz trio consisting of pianist Matt Tavares, bassist Chester Stone Hansen, and drummer Alex Sowinski (who apparently usually plays with a pig mask), they all met while attending Humber College. It's nothing new, the band's fusion of hip hop and jazz, but I can see why the kids like 'em - they groove. BADBADNOTGOOD released their first two albums in 2011, both for free off of their official Bandcamp.

Spoek Mathambo
Fri Mar 23 (11 pm) -- The Great Hall
Video: Spoek Mathambo - "Mshini Wam"

Fusing hip hop and Afro-beat influences with a decidedly modernist sonic approach, he's as exhilirating as the first time you'd heard M.I.A. One to watch.

Big Scary
Thu Mar 22 (8:50 pm) -- Sennheiser Lounge Library Bar (Sounds Australia)
Fri Mar 23 (9 pm) -- Lee's Palace (Windish Agency Showcase)
Sat Mar 24 (4:30 pm) -- El Mocambo, Upstairs (Aussie BBQ, Sounds Australia and Stage Mothers)
Video: Big Scary - "The Apple Song" (music video)

Spunky Aussie indie-rock, drums / guitar, girl / boy duo consisting of Jo Syme and Tom Iansek whose debut full-length Vacation was released this past October.

Chains of Love
Fri Mar 23 (11:30 pm) -- El Mocambo, Downstairs (Dine Alone Showcase)
Sat Mar 24 (9:20 pm) -- Horseshoe Tavern (Collective Concerts)
Video: Chains Of Love - "Lies Lies Lies" (live @ Bitmore in Vancouver, April 20 2011)

The Vancouver Motown-influenced, indie outfit made a good impression on me during last year's NXNE and so here I am recommeding them to give others the opportunity to check them out.

Cold Specks
Thu Mar 22 (9 pm) -- The Music Gallery (wristband-only show, doors 8:30 pm)
Video: Cold Specks - Holland (music video)

A recent signee to Toronto's Arts & Crafts label, this 23-year old (whose real name is Al Spx) from Toronto's west-end recently toured the UK with Timber Timbre and while over their made an appearance on seminal television music show Later With Jools Holland. Mixing currently popular indie-folk sensibilities with that of old-time gospel spirituals, she makes a stark musical statement.

From Indian Lakes
Sat Mar 24 (5 pm) -- Sneaky Dee's (Travis Porter + livemusicto)
Video: From Indian Lakes - "We Never Dream"
Video: From Indian Lakes - "The Canyon" (Acoustic Live Show)

The young quintet, all the way from Yosemite Valley, California have travelled a long way to get here for the festival, and it'd be a shame not to check them out. Both full-band and stripped-down acoustic performances exist on YouTube to check out revealing a versatile act whose emo-tinged songs are thoroughly satisfying.

Hacienda
Fri Mar 23 (11 pm) -- El Mocambo, Upstairs (Dine Alone Showcase)
Video: Hacienda - "Savage"

I saw the San Antonio outfit when they acted as The Black Key's Dan Auerbach's backing band a few year's back when Auerbach was touring his debut solo effort Keep It Hid - they were TIGHT. Fuzzy, blues-inflected, rock n' roll may just be what the doctor ordered.

Janes Party
Thu Mar 22 (11 pm) - Rancho Relaxo (Two Way Monologues & Green Shades Showcase)
Video: Jane's Party - "What you believe in"

If Sloan's pop music aficionado Jay Ferguson formed his own band, Janes Party might be it.

Last Year's Men
Thu Mar 22 (11 pm) -- Silver Dollar (NeXT)
Fri Mar 23 (11 pm) -- Silver Dollar (NeXT & Untold City)
Sat Mar 24 (midnight) -- Silver Dollar (NeXT)
Video: Last Year's Men - Troika 2010

From the American musical hotspot Chapel Hill, NC this young band combines "...the buoyant melodies of ‘50s and ‘60s pop and rock with a youthful pop-punk sneer...". They're good enough that Mr. Dan Burke booked them for a three-night stint at the Silver Dollar during Canadian Musicfest. I was surely impressed by the samples I checked out especially the YouTube video link above.

Minus The Tiger
Thu Mar 22 (10 pm) -- The Ossington
Fri Mar 23 (11 pm) -- Painted Lady
Video: Minus The Tiger - "Follow Me Down" (music video)

A four-piece band fronted by dutch husband-wife team of songwriter Anne Broekman on vocals and her husband / producer, Maarten Besseling. Their bio draws comparisons to The Knife, TV On The Radio, Lykke Li and Kate Bush and what I've briefly sampled is none too shabby.

Nautiluss
Fri Mar 23 (1 am) - Garrison (presented by Red Bull Music Academy and New Forms Festival)
Video: Nautiluss - "Bleu Monday"

One half of the now-defunct Thunderheist, Nautiluss is Graham Douglas Bertie's new project which their bio describes as an "...amalgamation of influences spanning from early 90s electronic to hip-hop to UK bass music and everything in between." He's released a few twelve-inches (both on vinyl and digital) so far through Hemlock Recordings.

Sea + Air
Wed Mar 21 (10 pm) -- Painted Lady
Sat Mar 24 (10 pm) -- Free Times Cafe
Video: Sea + Air - "Take Me For a Ride" (live session)

German duo made up of Daniel Benjamin (vocals, concerto guitar, drums, cymbals, bells) and Eleni (vocals, harpsichord, organ bass pedal, drums) with a decidely baroque style to their musical compositions.

Squarehead
Thur Mar 22 (1 am) -- Rivoli (Music From Ireland)
Video: Squarehead - "Midnight Enchilada" (music video)

This Irish garage pop trio's silly name fortunately doesn't detract too much away from the group's sunny, pop melodies. The band's Wikipedia page prominently features an entry that states that Morrissey went to see the band live at Workmans Club in Dublin in February 2011. And you know if Morrissey speaks, people listen.

Sydney Wayser
Thu Mar 22 (9pm) -- Sneaky Dee's (Audio Blood Showcase)
Video: Sydney Wayser - "Wolf Eyes"

This French-American, New York-based singer-songwriter has been through Toronto for past festivals on several occasions but none of her appearances I'd taken in so far. Two albums since 2007 she has a third full-length scheduled for release later this year. From the samples of her work I'd heard ranging from playful folk-y eccentricities to urgent pop-rock confections, perhaps overlooking her past few Toronto music festival appearances was a mistake. Hopefully, not again this year.

Young Empires
Wed Mar 21 (8:15 pm) -- The Great Hall - The Black Box (basement) (Pirates Blend Showcase)
Fri Mar 23 (11:30 pm) -- The Hoxton (w/ Dragonette)
Sat Mar 24 (8:20 pm) -- The Indies @ Canadian Room
Video: Young Empires - "White Doves" (live on George Stromboulopoulos)

I've touted the talents of Toronto dance-rock outfit Young Empires since their pre-label days when their song "White Doves" made my Fave Songs of 2010 list. With their just-released debut effort Wake All My Youth and recent radio airplay, the band is just hitting their stride.