Show Review: ONFF, Dino Bones and Arietta

I had a fun time at Mavericks seeing all three Toronto bands.
With alot of events happening on May 29th, I decided to choose this show.
Considering it was sort of a last minute shuffling around to get all three acts to play a venue in Ottawa.

All I have to say is that Toronto churns out alot of great indie acts.
Must be something in the Toronto water.

Oh No Forest Fires and Dinosaur Bones were totally amazing, despite having a really short set due to some other event at Mavericks.

Oh No Forest Fires sang two new songs and surely rocked out as always.

It was great to see the bands playing there were having a fun time and joining them on stage in certain songs.
That is support within the Toronto music scene.

It was my first time seeing Arietta.
They blew me away with their music.

Overall it was a fun crazy night for these Toronto bands.

In case you missed all these acts tonight.
Don’t worry, Dinosaur Bones will be back in Ottawa on June 12th.

Liar’s Rosebush – Thank-You Machines! (Review)

Album cover and links to the website

Finally got a chance to listen to this whole album by Ottawa’s electronica artist Liar’s Rosebush.
I thought he is a DJ but he doesn’t really spin records, so I would label him now as a musician.
Got the CD at his CD Release Party.
I would call this a unique concept album.
Going through the journey of the machines.
With this album which features no vocals, its sure is a fun album to dance too.
Usually with this kind of music, I would get really bored if there is no singing when I am dancing around to.
But his music is different from what I’ve been used to from the “dance scene” in Ottawa.

Blends in alot of techno, Drum and bass, jungle, electronica and adds in some jazz, funk and rock.

Listening to the beginning track, Quarter of a Million which made me giggled with the f-bombs being dropped.
The story of it was that his friend got alot of weird voice messages on their cellphone.
So with that used some of the message and put it on to a song.

Message from Senegal is another favorite since it mixes some world beat flavor to it.
Vancouver is another favorite track that I like.

Also love an album that is gapless.
Go on his Myspace and check out the song that you can listen to.
If you want a different approach to local dance music, this is one album you should get or also check him out live.

Favorite tracks:

• N I L 8
• Blowdarts and Burning Bridges
• Light Sweet Crude
• Message from Senegal
• Apartment Song
• Vancouver

The album is also available on iTunes.
Something about that album art cover I find fascinating.

Pamela Brennan – One Hundred Photographs (Review)

One Hundred Photographs - Pamela Brennan (Click on the image to her Myspace page)

Today I got in the mail a CD by a Toronto singer (who also live in Ottawa before) named Pamela Brennan.Just released her debut album called One Hundred Photographs.
Kind of interesting since I am a photographer and get an album title that is very photographic related.
The album is very folky acoustic pop and she almost has that smokey singing voice (Departures) and the soothing folky voice (Epiphany).
She reminds me of “Oh Susanna” mostly the song “Pretty Face” which I heard on CBC Radio 3.
This is a great album for relaxing and wanting to hear something nice and happy.
The lyrics she sings is very intimate and revealing.
Its one of those artist which isn’t too country but great indie folk pop.

Best tracks:

• Departures
• Amsterdam
• Sleep
• One Hundred Photographs
• Another Lonley Day
• Dream

Go to your nearest music store (if they have it) and buy this album.
Nice debut album.

Show Review: Liar’s Rosebush @ Mercury Lounge

Who would have thought that people actually came out to the Mercury Lounge and danced wholeheartedly to dance music.
People would say it was a club night, others say a “rave” night.
I like to call it a hipster club rave night without all the excessive plastic toys and bright colors.
Well the place was 19+ so it was more a mature affair.

Show Review: Videotape, Tune-Yards & Think About Life

With alot of stuff that happened on May 23rd in Ottawa, with being the Ottawa Marathon, Great Glebe Garage Sale and possibly Apostle Of Hustle at Zaphods.
All I can say so many events, so little time.
Or people spent alot of money at the Garage sale or tired from the walking or running which couldn’t help control it.
So I decided to hit up Babylon and check out three interesting bands which were:
Videotape
Tune-Yards
Think About Life

Videotape was great as always.
But they had a really really short set due to that the show had to end before 11pm.
Great band to see live.

Tune-Yards was interesting to see live.
I didn’t know when the set started because I thought the music playing was the sound guy’s music.
But when she told everyone to come to the stage since it was actually her music.
Just a solo set with her doing some drums and electronic items.
Lots of screaming, wailing and some funky tribal beats.
She sure knows how to be effective to get people to buy her music, since she told the audience that she only has five copies left of her album on vinyl.
I did dance during the last song.

Finally it was Think About Life.
Let’s say they sure know how to get people dancing to their music.
Nice to see the female singer of Shapes and Sizes.
They were out promoting their new album.
Which I didn’t get but I should very soon.
Fun and crazy set they put on.
Glad they did a encore and it was Money.

Despite a small turnout due to the stuff I mentioned.
I didn’t mind it at all because my friends were there and just made a fun time doing it.
I like a small intimate showing and not alot of people crowding the dancefloor making it hot and sweaty.

Another review

Show Review: Converters and Black Hat Brigade

Friday night with all the events happening I went to Cafe Dekcuf to see one of my favorite band from Toronto called Black Hat Brigade.
This is my third time seeing them and I was very happy to see them again.
All I have to say is “Third time’s a charm”.
They were out in support of their new CD called “Fathers”.
I didn’t get a chance to see City of A Hundred Spires because of timing issues mostly but I hope their set was great.

The first band to play was Converters.
I never heard of them but I was told that they are very new and it was their second or third live show.
The band is a trio and I was impress by their set.
Probably might get to see them more at future shows.

Waiting a few more minutes for Black Hat Brigade to set up.
They have alot of equipment to put up on the stage and it was crazy.
Was a little worried because I didn’t know how long their set was. If it was going to pass 12:15am “I am outta of here”.
They were very amazing and love their high energy sound.
They are a band you have to see live. Why? Because each members (minus the drummer) alternate turns in playing a different instrument and vocals.
Its great to see the dynamic of the band and never gets boring if its the same old routine.
Don’t worry the band will be back in August.
I recommend that you see them live.

Funny story, I bought their CD “Fathers” and I noticed that I got two of the same CDs.
The drummer was doing the packaging in the car, he was getting car sickness and might have accidentally put two of the same CD in the packaging.
Thought it was hilarious and I was honest in returning the second CD back to them.

Show Review: Achors/Matt Gower/The Allrights

Last night seemed to a be a folky-rock atmosphere at Cafe Dekcuf.
Bands playing were:
Anchors
Matt Gower
The Allrights

Apparently the Toronto band “Great Bloomers” were suppose to play their first show in Ottawa cancelled their appearance due to the keyboardist leaving the band.

It was a nice intimate night
Anchors:
They were great as always.
Saddened they didn’t sing the Fleetwood Mac’s cover “Dreams”.
At least alot of people showed up for their set. Would have been funny to see the screaming girls go crazy for this band.
Hopefully they will release a full length album very soon.

Matt Gower:
Very roots folk-acoustic style.

The Allrights:
I didn’t know three members of Centretown Cripplers are in this band.
Different from their counterpart.
More rock based than the punk.

The Danks – Are You Afraid Of The Danks (CD Review)

Album cover and link to their Myspace

Got the new Danks album “Are You Afraid Of The Danks” which doesn’t come out until June 30th.
So here is my review for their album.
Have to say they are very similiar to Two Hours Traffic since two of the members are in that band.
Basically its like saying both are them are like brohters.
THT being the happy one while The Danks is the fun crazy one.
Here is a quote from Killbeat Music:

“Driven by small-town boredom and a severe distaste for contemporary pop, the Danks deliver a fistful of excitement with the follow-through of a wrecking ball in a Beverly Hills mansion.
Recorded under sweltering circumstances in a Haligonian mini-mall, the quartet pounded out, among other things, the unflinchingly catchy ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DANKS.
Recruiting Super Friendz alumni Charles Austin to man the mics and ex-Thrush Hermit bassman Ian MacGettigan to caress the faders, this anti-workaday foursome bashed out twelve no-nonsense pop blasts that barely clock in at thirty minutes.
With cowboy capitalists sitting high on the Canadian bacon and the Buzzcocks approaching senior citizenry, the Danks propose an alternative economy, one that deals strictly in the currency of cool.”

Don’t want to compare both bands as the same.
The Danks has more of a garage rock pop sound.
They have that East coast sound with a blend of British sound (mostly the lead singer sounds very much like Kelly Jones of The Stereophonics)
More focused on the guitars and a harder edge sound.
All the twelve tracks are in the two minute range which leaves me wanting more for longer songs.
If you like poppy rock stuff, this one album you should get.
Also a band you want to see live too.
I was lucky to see them live with Two Hours Traffic back in November 2008 (see photos).

Best tracks:

• What We’re Doing
• Who Knows
• Die Young
• Automocar (Love the title of the song)
• Treaty Connector (Frequently played on CBC Radio 3)
• In Alright
• 374

Wolfe Island Music Festival lineup

I was checking NXEW.ca
They had a post on who is playing this year’s Wolfe Island Festival in Kingston.

August 7th I definitely want to see Woodhands and Sarah Harmer
August 8th I definitely want to see Holy F**k, The D’urbervilles, Apostle Of Hustle, Attack In Black, The Rural Alberta Advantage and Ohbijou

Show Review: Centretown Cripplers, The Paint Movement and Modern Boys Modern Girls

Last night I went to this show at Mavericks.
Luckily for myself, I finally gotten a chance to see Modern Boys Modern Girls play in Ottawa.
Nice enough for Akira Alemany to check out my site here and got on the guestlist.
They were really great live.
I would like to see them again in Ottawa or if I get a chance to see them in Toronto.

The Paint Movement was interesting live. 

Nice to see Centretown Cripplers play.

Its hard having a show on Sunday and being on the long weekend.

I won’t write more on here.
You should check out the other review on Lysten.ca
More photos click here.