Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Local Wares for Sale

While not quite local (anyone know where the hell SOUTH Simcoe is? I didn't think Simcoe was large enough to be divided into cardinal quadrants), yet another gem from the south of ON has fallen into my lap. Truth be told, I almost caught their set after walking out of a rather abysmal performance at the Silver Dollar with a couple of the guys from The Mercy Now. I poked my head into the Elmo, but didn't have the heart to stick around for Indian Handcrafts, and instead slinked over to my usual NXNE haunt, The Hideout.

 Me and my impatience.

Had I stuck around, I could have caught a really fucking loud 2 piece tear the shit out of some Fu Manchu. While I always seem to have a thing for the simplicity of 2 man bands, very seldom does this setup lend its self to a variety of musical styles. For example, if you told me that I was going to be amazed by a 2 piece playing a massive stoner-rock wall of sound, I would have called you crazy.  Still, its amazing what people can do with a metric fuck-ton of pedals and energy.

Don't believe me... be sure to watch this video all the way to the end. Let your eyes roll back into your head around 2:40... you'll figure out the rest.



-Oh them faces looking down on me. Do your worst and then set me free

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Ditry, grimy, disgusting awesome

Drew Towler, in addition to being one of my oldest friends, just blew my mind.  This morning, he dropped some science on me which got me more excited about music than I've been for... at least a few hours. I find a lot of new bands and a lot of new music, but a find like this doesn't come along every day.


Left Lane Cruiser is the dirtiest, most glorious blues rock you've ever heard this side of Fort Wayne Indiana.  Actually, I don't know what side of Fort Wayne they're from. What I do know is that I've been obsessively listening to everything I can get my hands on, and am anxiously waiting for my credit cards to arrive (stupid lost wallet) so that I can order their entire vinyl back catalog. These boys sound like old Black Keys, but dirtier and with more of a soulful, head-bobbin feel.

You wanna know what makes music give me the heebie-jeebies? Listen to some of these tracks and the raw, soulful power emanating through your speakers. Are they dead on time? No.  Is every note right? No. They sing perfectly on tune? Sometimes I wouldn't even call them notes.  Still, if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of two men pouring themselves out through their instruments, doing what they love to, and were born to do.

Until my shipment arrives (lord help the customs employees if they hold this up) I will be expending a ridiculous amount of bandwidth, streaming their tunes off myspace and youtube all day, while contemplating the possibility of pretending to get some work done.




-Show me fire with no smoke at all, show me love with no wherewithal

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Good times in the Jar

Shaun Verreault has been one of my inspirations, pretty much since before the day I picked up a guitar.  As such, I couldn't be happier to share that my fellow prairie brethren in Wide Mouth Mason have released their first new album since 2005's Shot Down Satellites. No Bad Days was recored with another inspiration and legend, Mr. Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar fame.



-Oh these angels with demonic eyes, bury my sickness with their pious cries

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Half the Equation

Only a few weeks ago (Ok, like 2 months... I know I don't post much) I spoke to you about the Pomplamoose duo. In addition to spending hours upon end enthralled by their series of videosongs, I quickly learned that both members of the group also have very active solo projects.


Now, not to rain on Nataly's parade... however I know where my allegiances lie.  The two musicians provide a fantastic balance to each other to generate some incredible, catchy tunes.  However, Jack Conte's true colours shine through in his solo work. You can tell he's been very well trained in theory as, beyond being an exceptional multi-instrumentalist, his songs are exceptionally ambitious, hugely varied epics of progressive rock (kinda) which still manages to come across accessible.

It's kinda like what would happen if that savant music kid you know at university decided he was going to make prog rock alone in his bedroom... with every kind of musical toy and bit of recording gear you could ever imagine and all the time in the world to play with editing and producing software.



-Speak to me in tongues and I'll speak to you with consequence

Monday, August 15, 2011

The definition of Garage Rock

Somehow, this was released over a month ago and yet I'm just finding it now.

Yes... I would have Mr. Grohl's children... and that's ok.



I'm allowed to be a fanboy every now and then, afterall.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Swing and a Miss

You know when you hear about a new group, it sounds amazing and then, just as expected, blows your mind?
Yeah... like this.

Other times, you hear about a new crew getting together, get kinda excited, but then realize upon release that they really don't have much to say as musicians?
Yup... you guessed it.

I've now found a new category.  When you hear about a group that sounds like the most ridiculous, mismatched, shite you could ever pay a chimpanzee on methaqualone to dream up? Well, I'm learning something new today:



Oh, and just FYI... Mick Jagger is not rock and roll... he's a pansy who sold his soul to the highest bidder a long time ago.

-Faith in the things you despise

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Silver Lining

In one of the most ridiculous travel experiences I've had in my entire life, I found myself returning to Toronto 4 days late from the UK after spending time in not one, but two Swiss cities. I won't bother to get into the details, but needless to say, I was kinda pissed about the whole ordeal, and had it not been for a very comfortable bed, a much angrier Shane could have emerged.

However, to every cloud, there is a silver lining. Had I never missed my first flight due to an overturned Lorry on the M25, I would have never paid $700 to rebook my flight with Swiss Air, miss a connection, spend a night in Geneva and finally take an Air Canada flight back to Toronto. I would have also never seen the movie The Limey. The movie was dark and really fucked up, however, it exposed me to a fantastic song called King Midas in Reverse by The Hollies.



The Hollies were a 60s Brit pop/rock group from the Manchester, and the starting point for future icon Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame). Their vocal-harmony heavy, tripped out songs earned them a 2010 nod into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and though they would technically be an active band from 1962 through the 80s, and still dabbling into the 90s and noughties, they never received a huge amount of commercial success outside of the UK past a year or two in the 60s.

Was the song below worth $700?  Doubtful, but it is a damned good song.



-I love you, nobody