Indie Music 6.

Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto. I try to list as many shows here as I know about, though with a preference for listing those happening at venues I especially like, or featuring performers I know something about. This list is thus not comprehensive. In addition, I rarely list shows that cost $10 or more. If I'm missing something or you have any comments, please do let me know.

There's lots to do! Goodness me. My head is exploding. Seriously. I am stunned by the variety of amazing indie(ish) music to be had in town for cheap this week. Keep reading for details. And let me know if you want to go with me to anything. Or if you think I should be spending more time on my dissertation.

And remember to bring earplugs, just in case.

TUESDAY

Every Tuesday there's a free show at the Horseshoe Tavern, The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite. This week's lineup is pretty great: Songs From A Room @ 12:00, The Zoobombs @ 11:10, The Disraelis @ 10:20, and Bella (Vancouver) @ 9:30. Wow. One last chance to catch the Zoobombs before they leave the country . . . and for free! At least according to stillepost.ca.

Up on College St., at Sneaky Dee's, for $7, you can go see Oh No! Oh My! (Austin, TX) with Oh No Forest Fires and The Deadly Syndrome (Los Angeles, CA). Doors open at 9pm. Wow. I am torn. Should I go to this and be a good friend, or blow it off to check out the Zoobombs??

And for a more low-key, more women-heavy evening, there's this: Katie Stelemanie, Isla Craig, and Carmen Elle. It's happening at The Boat from 9pm. $5.

Or head over to Queen and Bathurst to Bovine Sex Club for this show: The Heatskores, Maximum RNR, and Hot Little Rocket. 9 pm, $5.

WEDNESDAY

Another night with two shows that I'm confident will be good (depending on your musical tastes), and two others that just might well be too. So many cheap options! The thing about Toronto, a scenester/actor/musician/bartender/etc. recently told me, is that some of the best shows happen on weeknights: musicians often work weekend nights at their "day jobs."

Three good bands: Llions, OPOPO, and Green GO @ The Boat, $5, 9pm. The Llions are lovely live. And I've heard good things about the others.

Another set of three good bands: Sneaky Dee's Free for All Wednesdays (i.e. no cover + cheap beer). Doors 9pm. Beth in Battle Mode, The I Spies, Ten Kens. Heck, it's free, and it should be a good time to boot!

Horseshoe Tavern offers up a night of "Local Alternative" music. This week it's Hoolie Snatch @12:00, Hawthorne @11:10, Shadows In Red @10:20, and The Wilderness @9:30. Cover is $4.00.

Or else you can take in Isla Craig and Muskox at Tranzac (Brunswick Ave., just south of Bloor), which will cost you whatever you care to pay.

THURSDAY

Les Parallelions are having a video release party at the Boat, starting at 9pm, $5. Joining them will be The Rails, Department of Justice, and The Woolves.

Local Alternative at the Horseshoe Tavern: Mondays Fiction @12:00, A Thousand Cures @11:10, A Fourth World @10:20, and Perkins @9:30. $6.00

If you feel like dancing this night, Supermarket in Kensington Market is offering up Super Secret Thursdays with DJ Task (This is London), DJ Orly (from Step Ball Hustle) plus special guest. Doors open at 9:30pm, $5 cover.

Tiger Bar's No Shame (regular Thursday night indie show, 9pm, $5) features:
- Tune-Yards (Vermont) Merrill Garbus of 'Sister Suvi' is an amazon; an enormous woman with enormous vocals. She dominates with her tenor uke and looping pedal, percussion, and plenty of guts.
- Pink Eye (Detroit) Dark Improv from south of the border, unpredictable and savage.
- Huckleberry Friends (Toronto) Ominous art rock ensemble play haunting songs, built on layers of unaffected vocals, the slow heartbeat of heavy toms, wheezing organ and chilling expanses of space, mature and creepily timeless.
- Another band, TBA.

Baby Eagle, Shotgun Jimmie, and Construction and Destruction are stopping by Sneaky Dee's as part of their fall tour tonight starting at 9pm. Cover is $5.

FRIDAY

Marienbad, The Gravity Wave, Foxes, and DJ Chili Palmer are bringing "electrodancefun" to the Boat. Doors 9pm, $5. The Gravity Wave is a phenomenon you should see.

The Diableros's CD release party (for "Aren't Ready for the Country") is happening at the Horseshoe, $8 cover. Set times are as follows: The Diableros @ 12:30, Young Rival @ 11:30, The People of Canada @ 10:30, and Church Of State @ 9:30.

I might have to head over to Sneaky Dee's if I feel like getting my groove on after taking in a serious lecture at Trinity College. DJ Shit la Merde, no cover before 11pm; $5 after. Dance!

Easy Tiger is a weekly dance party at Tiger Bar. It's good fun, and it costs $5. This ain't the entertainment district, and you might need to beware of hipsters. (But it's ok: they are harmless.) This week's band is Casper & The Cookies (Athens, GA). If you miss the band because you're running late, stay and dance until the wee hours to the Easy Tiger DJs.

SATURDAY

There's some stuff happening. Mostly to do with Hallowe'en and costumes and such. But if you're not doing those, then there are two options, so far as I can make out. (1) Check out The Mark Inside at Sneaky Dee's. Cover is pwyc doors at 9pm. The other bands on the bill are Action Makes and The Postage Stamps. (2) Come by The Embassy in Kensington Market for a drink with me---I'm celebrating turning 28! I'll be there from 9:30pm or so, and might head over to the Boat after midnight. Happening there is the 3rd annual Goin' Steady Monster Mash, "Toronto's hottest dance party old fashion beat music - 40s/50s/60s."

SUNDAY

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Woodhands, and One Heart Many Hands are playing a show at Whippersnapper Gallery starting at 8 pm. Tickets are $10 online or $12 at the door. This one's highly recommended by Carl Wilson, the guy who does the Zoilus Toronto Gig Guide. I may have to check this one out, since I have serious love for Woodhands, men and group. They are just great. (The other guys playing are probably ok too.)

Cheaper and closer to campus is Wavelength 386 at Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc. This week the popular Sunday night music showcase features rockers Ontario Power Generation, Sightings (Brooklyn, NY), and Marienbad (if you missed them on Friday, or liked them so much you want to see them again) + DJ Pistol Pete.

On OPG's myspace page you can check out two videos of the Star Trek-themed medley the band performed at Tranzac a while back. It was amazing live! Blew everyone away. These guys know how to rock out. (But I admit to never having heard them play their own, non-ST songs . . . yet.)

And, finally, there's this happening at the Boat for $5, from 9pm: Northamorica, Tim Gilbertson (Edmonton), and The Dukes Of The Archipelago (Montreal). My sources say it's gonne be "gentleindierockandelectroroll."