Indie Music 63 (29 Dec - 4 Jan 2008).

Like this list? Join my Google Group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Or, the Facebook group. Subscribe to my weekly podcast (or download the episodes) here, or through iTunes. Or just listen to the latest one, and all the other ones, at Zygiella. Make sure to check the rest of this blog for show reviews and photos, giveaways, and downloads.

Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto, all for $10 or less. I try to list as many shows here as I know about, though this list is not comprehensive. If I'm missing something or you have any comments, let me know.

Happy New Year! I'm probably gonna celebrate it at the Tranzac Club, as no doubt some of you will too. Since there's just so much going on Wednesday night, I've skipped it in this week's listings. There's very little happening on the 1st, so take the night off to recover. But otherwise there are some good shows on this week. Monday you can catch Slim Twig and Hooded Fang as part of a stacked and diverse indie bill at the Drake Underground. On Friday I'll be at Rancho Relaxo for the return (to Toronto) of Ottawa's Amos the Transparent. Weee! Saturday... so many options. And Sunday, Muskox at Tranzac (early) followed by Wavelength at Sneaky Dee's, or Gather Round at the Boat. For weirder stuff, start at Somewhere There, then head to Tranzac for the late show.

MONDAY (29 dec)

The Strangeboys @ 10:30 and Cosmic Granola @ 9:00. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $6.

* Elvis Monday presents What's In The Box (night 4) feat. Slim Twig, Brides, Hooded Fang, The Elwins, and Steve Singh @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

Rattlesnake Choir (residency) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, free.

Panic Density feat. Maybe Not @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Bryan Arcand (residency) w/ William the Conqueror @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 9:30pm, pwyc.

Chad Michael Stewart, Hue, and Vacuity @ Supermarket, 9pm, $7.

TUESDAY (30 dec)

Julian Fauth and Jake Chisholm (residency) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4-7pm, pwyc.

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. Tree Star @ 11:40, Quiet Center @ 10:50, The Matthews Brothers @ 10:00, and Sound Foundation @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

The Pink & Black Attack presents Bathurst Queens (drag queens sing hardcore) and The Bag Ladies @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

Paul Linklater & His Murmurers (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 7-9pm, pwyc.

Paul Gellman Band w/ Frank Patrick, Shira Gellman, and Gary Craig @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm.

CaMp CoMbO @ The Local, 9pm, pwyc.

Alexandra Ribera & band (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 10pm, free.

Mutek presents What's In The Box (night 5) feat. The Mole, Nosaj Thing, Knowing Looks, Noah Fred, and Vincent Lemieux @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

The Effens and Echolalias @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9:30pm, $5.

Flatland and Ris @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 8pm, $5.

Moon Dog's Birthday feat. The Blue Demons, Oscar B, the Outbred Inlaws, and The Screamagers @ El Mocambo (Upstairs), 9pm, $8.

WEDNESDAY (31 dec)

There are NYE parties everywhere. I'll hopefully be at The Tranzac Club.

THURSDAY (1 jan)

Ancient Chinese Secret (residency) @ The Cadillac Lounge, 7:30pm, free.

Damien Drea (from Vesta Varro) w/ Distance Between Stars @ Rok Boutique, 9pm, $6.

FRIDAY (2 jan)

David Woodhead & Friends (residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Killowat @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

Soles Mojo, Jon Travis, Rex Bausnit, Harrison Fine, and Sohayla Mojtahedi @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, pwyc.

The Woodshed Orchestra @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Mother Murder, Reverse Mount Rushmore (members of The Harold Wartooth), Epigram, and Videotape @ The Silver Dollar, Room, 9pm, $5?

* Room Party feat. CAFF and Marienbad @ The Boat, 10pm, $5.

Baptized in Blood and Del Asher w/ Vania @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

Lazer Sword, Alias, and Egyptrixx @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 10pm, $5.

Leftover Daylight Series (residency) @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6.

* TWM 32 feat. Amos the Transparent, Whale Tooth, and Bellewoods @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $7. YES!

Burn Down the Capital presents White/Light, Knurl, Heavy Water, and tba @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $7.

The Elastocitizens @ 11:45, Jason Ford Band @ 10:30, and Tiny Danza @ 9:30. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $10.

Roman Dane @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $10.

The Nohawks @ 12:30, Endsville @ 11:30, Black Rainbows @ 10:30, and tba @ 9:30. Lee's Palace, 9pm, $6.

Make Your Exit, Michou, and We Are the Take @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 9pm, $tba.

The Strip, Diana Catherine & the Thrusty Tweeters, and The Last True Gentlemen @ El Mocambo (Upstairs), 9pm, $8. All proceeds to Sick Kids Foundation.

Lucas Stagg Band @ The Cadillac Lounge, 9pm.

Blood Runs Cold and guests @ Rok Boutique.

Oliver Piggot @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9:30pm.

SATURDAY (3 jan)

Jay Clarke & the Jones @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4pm, pwyc.

Cadillac Ranch Country Matinee feat. tba @ Cadillac Lounge, 4-7pm.

Rekha Patel, Laura Sales @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm.

Pocket Quintet @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Tundra Fun, Ory Noman, and The Strip @ Mitzi's Sister, 9:30pm, pwyc.

Willow Rutherford (residency) and tba @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 6pm, pwyc.

* JJ Ipsen, Jessie Kussin, and Lisa Bozikovic @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

The Flying Bordelos (2 sets) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 9pm, pwyc.

Jeffrey Brothers and Gracefield @ Rok Boutique, 9pm.

$100 (duet, Simone and Ian), Brodie Dakin & the Runaway Catholics, R. Mirsky , and more @ The Cameron House, 9pm, $5.

Ketch Harbour Wolves, Kiss the Messenger, and tba @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 8pm, $5. KHW gets my vote.

TWM presents The Paint Movement, Bitter City, Cam Malcolm & the Owls, and Matthew de Zoete @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

Tenth Planet and Sunlit Ambush @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

William Delray & the Sexy Moving Parts, Shawn Clarke, and more @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5.

* Catl and The Speaking Tongues @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5. Yahoo!

Mass Conception @ 12:30, Tennfold @ 11:30, Harm @ 10:30, and Purge @ 9:30. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $6.

Job Cain @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6. Standards and originals by Jay Hay and Jeremy Strachan (woodwinds), Aaron Lumley (bass), and Gregg Brennan (drums).

tba @ 12:30, The Entropy @ 11:30, The Deaf Children @ 10:30, and tba @ 9:30. Lee's Palace, 9pm, $6.

* Hexes & Ohs, Hut, Still Life Still, and Our History of Cowboys @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $7.

* Blood Ceremony, Lullabye Arkestra, The Saffron Sect, Keef, and Wyrd Visions @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $7.

Abstract Thought Event Promotions presents The Phone Booth Criminals, Second Hand Band, St. George Circus, and tba @ The Savannah Room, 7:30pm, $7. All ages.

No Official Capacity presents Cauldron, Bastardator, King, and Demonthrone @ The Black Swan Tavern, 8pm, $10. All ages.

Sensoria 3 feat. Machinedrum, Egyptrixx, C.O.I., Invisibling, Brontron, and Law.to, w/ other stuff @ Augusta House, 10pm, $10 (or $8 for groups of three or more).

George Casey Band @ The Mod Club, 10pm, $10 (or free w/ guestlist). Message the band for a guestlist spot.

Hotboxx presents Ryan Barwick & the Small Town, Fridays Karma, Opal Blue, Carly Malone Smith, Lucas Hunter, Bluespoon, and Strange Audio @ The Rivoli, 7pm, $10.

SUNDAY (4 jan)

Les Singes Bleus @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 1pm, pwyc.

* Muskox @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

Michael Brennan, Steve Briggs, and Rob Clark (residency) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4-7pm, pwyc.

John Borra & Sam Ferrara (residency) @ The Communist's Daughter, 5pm, pwyc.

Sheba @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, free.

* The Woodchoppers Association @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10:30pm, pwyc. Odd, but in a good way.

* Wavelength 444 feat. The Owle Bird and Chris Yang @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc.

* Gather Round feat. Hamilton Trading Co. and Dave Schoonderbeek @ The Boat, 9pm, pwyc.

Christine Duncan's Element Choir @ Somewhere There, 6-8pm, $6. Ouff, this is so bizarre, but it might blow your mind.

NOW Series: Ken Aldcroft (solo) and Bedoukian/Bora/Zurawinski @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6.

Shout out.

I've seen a lot more than my fair share of great sets/shows in December. I don't have time to do proper reviews of them all---and I kept forgetting my camera---but I figure I should give a shout out to few of the bands that have made my life better recently. I saw a whole whack load of great, fun performances; this is just a sampling.

Canaille @ Sneaky Dee's, as part of Wavelength, 7 Dec.

This jazz-experimental group headlined a night that otherwise consisted entirely of hip hop. Ah, Wavelength. The hip hop was loads of fun. But then these guys proceeded to blow my mind with their awesomeness. Usually, jazz instrumental weirdness isn't my thing, but Canaille was amazing, and with enough solid beats, dancey parts, and fantastic solos to balance out the odder bits. I must have their record when they do one. The band was started by Jeremy Strachan, who is one half of Feuermusik, and also includes Colin Fisher and Mike Smith, two well known members of the jazz-improv scene here in Toronto.

The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Sneaky Dee's, 9 Dec.

I've now seen the RAA a dozen times. This is probably more than I've seen any other band. So you know that I like this band. A lot. I've loved seeing more and more blog posts all over the internet about this band every day, especially since they were made a featured artist on eMusic. Their album, Hometowns, is appearing on some best of 2008 lists, too. Yes! See this post for another RAA download, and my most recent review of one of their sets you'll find here.

Download: "The Air," a song the RAA doesn't play at shows (that I can remember), but one that I absolutely love from the record, Hometowns.

Human Highway @ The Tranzac Club, 16 Dec.

I won a couple tickets from Chromewaves, and man am I ever glad I got to go to this show! Top-notch show also featuring The Magic, a great young band originally from Guelph that No Shame introduced to me. Human Highway, AKA Jim Guthrie and Nick Thorburn, is a folk rock side project for these two. They released Moody Motorcycle a few months ago, and it's been well received. This Tuesday show was sold out and I'm sure everyone there left hoping HH will come back soon. Just great.

The Golden Hands Before God . . . @ Rancho Relaxo, 20 Dec.

One of the best shows I've been to at Rancho, and the best in many months, for sure. It opened with Terror Lake, a garage rock trio featuring two male guitarists and a dummer/singer named Wendy. The small crowd stayed back but got closer as the set went on. The weather was horribly cold this night, and the throngs that would certainly have otherwise come out did not show. But those of us who were there were treated to a mad-crazy rock 'n' roll performance by The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band & the Spirits. I have never seen such (drunken?) rock antics pulled off so well, by a six piece band of men exhausted from an 11-hour drive. I have little tolerance for a lot of rock music, but this 60s throwback psychedelic garage rock band was seriously blowing my mind last Saturday night. By the end of their set half the audience was on stage with them, singing along while the tambourine man slammed his instrument against the venue's wall and ceiling and his own gloved hand, and the lead guitarist rocked out on the floor, surrounded by spilled beer and broken glass. It was just insane. Count me in for their next Toronto show. More people, a bigger venue, and higher temperatures, though, please. The night closed with local blues rock duo The Speaking Tongues unleashing their brand of masculine musical thunder on an appreciative crowd. I've really come to like these guys a lot. For my money they are a better band than The Pack A.D., and that's saying something. Too bad I had to leave early. The TTC hates rock 'n' roll.

Download: "Communist Party" from The Golden Hands Before God's Here.

Download: "Run To My Door" from The Speaking Tongues's Wild Sound.

Podcast 21 (18-21 Dec 2008).

This week's podcast features Foxfire ("Narcissist in the Forest"), Sadie May Crash ("Wrong Way Out"), Huckleberry Friends ("Crusade"), These Electric Lives ("We Should Be Believing"), The Speaking Tongues ("Run To My Door"), and The Ghost Is Dancing ("People").

And because I'm a dolt I didn't mention The Diableros' show at the Boat on Friday! Stupid me... see you there, hopefully. Great band, with new songs to debut.

Listen: http://www.zygiella.com/historyjen
Download: http://www.zygiella.com/rss/podcasts/zygiellapodcast21.mp3
RSS: http://www.zygiella.com/rss/podcasts/zygiellapodcasts.rss
iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=282270866

Weekly Picks (16-21 Dec 2008).

Like this list? Join my Google Group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Or, the Facebook group. Subscribe to my weekly podcast (or download the episodes) here, or through iTunes. Or just listen to the latest one, and all the other ones, at Zygiella. Make sure to check my blog for show reviews and photos, giveaways, and downloads.

Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto, all for $10 or less. I try to list as many shows here as I know about, though this list is not comprehensive. If I'm missing something or you have any comments, let me know.

I was out a lot last week. Let's see if I can remember what I saw . . . The D'Urbervilles, Bocce, Slow Hand Motem, $100, Richard Laviolette & the Oil Spills, The Craft Economy, Whale Tooth, Provincial Parks, Hamilton Trading Co., Still Life Still, and The Rural Alberta Advantage. Not a bad list.

But now I'm sick, and I've no energy this week to compile a full list, but here are some suggestions.

TUESDAY (16 dec)

* The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. Arkells, We Are The Take, Young Rival, and Songs From A Room @ The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

The Oxford Hotel presents Dustin & the Furniture, Toby Foster, Matt Whispers, and Sarah D. @ The Oxford Hotel (117 Oxford St.), 7pm, pwyc. House show.

St. Dirt Elementary School (residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Book of Gnomes and Lake Vernon Drowning @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 9:30pm, pwyc.

Trinket Trance presents Great Dane, Personal Circus, and Tripping Hazard @ The Poor Alex Theatre, 9:45pm, pwyc.

Showcho 5 feat. Kathleen Phillips (comedy), Anna Sudac, The Flying Museum Band, hosted by Eric Toth @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc or donation to food bank. Variety show.

Boxes & Bags, Itchy Watery Eyes, and Our History of Cowboys @ The Velvet Underground, 9pm, $5.

Wake & Weep presents Pace The Stairs, Sex Swamp Robots, and The Mountain @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

Wildlife, We Landed On The Moon, The Rest, and Elsinore @ Lee's Palace, 8pm, $5.

WEDNESDAY (17 oct)

The Annex WreckRoom & IndieCan Radio present IndieCan Wednesdays feat. Miasmata, All For Nothing, and Freedom Cage @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, free.

PWYC Weds feat. Must Stash Hat, Doug the Trucker Band, The Hey Now, Shoot the Cameraman @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc.

Balls, Borealis, and My Flea Circus @ Lee's Palace, 8pm, $4.

3rd Annual Jesus & Mary Chain Tribute @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $5. Feat. The Disraelis, The Hoa Hoa's, The Easy Targets, and others.

Phasmatis, Nautilus, The Jing Bang Show, Thank The Academy, and Cory Kane @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 7:30pm, $5.

The Framework w/ JSIN and These Three Cities @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $8.

THURSDAY (18 oct)

The Commune presents Psych Night feat. October Sky, The Merry Warners, The Invisible Mouth, and Reverse Mount Rushmore @ The Silver Dollar Room, 8:30pm, $6.

* Foxfire and Delinquints w/ DJ Shit La Merde @ Wrongbar, 9pm, $5.

Pitter Patter Nights 4th Year Anniversary (375th show) feat. Brothers, Heartbeat Hotel, and Don Mills @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

* TWM presents Jordaan Mason & the Horse Museum, Trevor James & the Perfect Gentlemen, and B & the North @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

Slow News Day, Little Foot Long Foot, and others @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5.

Sarah Blackwood, The Roman Line, Liquor Box, and Sarah Skellington @ Lee's Palace, 8:30pm, $6.

Carole Pope w/ Sadie May Crash @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $10.

Pierson Ross w/ The Wilderness @ The Rivoli, 8pm, $10.

FRIDAY (19 oct)

* The Diableros, Great Bloomers, Serb Superb, and DJ Broken Arrow @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

* Bad Day presents Bad Holiday, Huckleberry Friends, Wyrd Visions, and Castlemusic @ Xpace (58 Ossington), 9pm-midnight, $5.

* Bradley Boy (CD release) and Catl (2 sets each) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5.

I Have Eaten The City, Trio Araki, and Rob Piilonen & guests @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6.

* The Edge Electric Christmas feat. Beast, These Electric Lives, and Sunriser @ The Mod Club, 7pm (early show), $10. Early for real: Beast is on at 9pm.

SATURDAY (20 oct)

Superfriends Superparty feat. Maylee Todd, Tonka and Puma, Yuka, Generic Rock, Wellington Wellingtonians, Backwoods Justice @ Concord Cafe, 9pm (start), pwyc.

Bird Week, Chang-A-Lang, and Buck Starball @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

Metal Kites (2 sets), Kathleen Phillips (comedy), and Yellow Jacket Avenger @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Stuck In the City Winter Solstice feat. Urban Blight, Eating Glass, Glue, and Hazardous Waste @ Siesta Nouveaux (15 Lower Sherbourne), 7:30pm, $5. All ages.

The Darcys present Yuletide Cheer 3 feat. The Darcys, Cool Dad, and Ryan Karam @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5.

* Snakes & Ladders Christmas Show feat. OPOPO (DJ set), The Miles, Green Go (DJ set), and Heartbreak Hotel (ex-Mariposa) @ WhipperSnapper Gallery, 9pm, $5. All ages.

* Late Night Live feat. The Ghost Is Dancing, Burn Planetarium, and tba @ The Silver Dollar Room, 10:30pm, $5.

Somewhere There Festive Special Night feat. The Rent, Holger Schoorl, and Charity CD Auction @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6 or free w/ donation of non-perishable food item. "Please bring a few CDs from your collection that you know are terrific, but you never listen to and would be willing to share for a good and festive cause." Proceeds to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

* TWM 31 feat Golden Hands Before God, The Speaking Tongues, Terror Lake @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $7. Yes!

Mothring, Castlemusic, Eric Chenaux, and Aimee Dawn Robinson @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 9pm, $10 (or $7 w/ 2 non-perishable food items.

SUNDAY (21 oct)

Healing Power potluck feat. No White God, Ayal Senior, Public Saxophone, Lumley/Tielli, Eric Chenaux, Ken Reaume, Misha Bower, Boner Jerusalem, Skullbong, Heavywater, Hoover Party, and Roman Pilates @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge and Tiki Room), 10pm, pwyc.

Gather Round Xmas Concert feat. Hamilton Trading Co. @ The Boat, 9pm, pwyc.

* Cancel Winter, Still Life Still, and Rich Girls @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 8pm, $10 (or $8 w/ canned good).

The Rural Alberta Advantage.

I love this band. Got to see them again tonight, to a packed house at Sneaky Dee's, which was amazing. They were great. Gush. The three of them are all perfect in their roles. (And so damn cute.) They played a new song, one I also heard at Lee's Palace at the end of last month, and it's become one of my favourites of theirs. Another record at some point . . . should be fantastic.

Indie Music 62 (8-14 Dec 2008).

Like this list? Join my Google Group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Or, the Facebook group. Subscribe to my weekly podcast (or download the episodes) here, or through iTunes. Or just listen to the latest one, and all the other ones, at Zygiella. Make sure to check the rest of this blog or show reviews and photos, giveaways, and downloads.

Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto, all for $10 or less. I try to list as many shows here as I know about, though this list is not comprehensive. If I'm missing something or you have any comments, let me know.

I didn't get out as much as I wanted to, but still managed to catch some good bands/performers: Hey Rosetta!, Christine Bougie & Dafydd Hughes, Party Time, Peter Project (and Wordburglar), Louwop, Theology 3 & friends, and Canaille (!!). Can I just say that the worst thing about snow is that it makes show-hopping that much more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Biking was fast and free. Bah, winter.

Sorry this is a little late. I'm adding residencies to this list, because many of them are great and there's really no reason not to list them (except it makes for more work for me). And I'm always looking to add more venues to expand the list's usefulness for different genres of music. If anyone out there has some knowledge of a particular scene, and wants to help me gather show listings, send me a message. I'm lacking in jazz, improv/avant guard, blues, hip hop, classical, and so on. I don't list DJ nights/dance parties, and if anyone wants to help collect those, that'd be cool too.

If you're reading this Mon, Tues, or Wed, there's still time to get in on the D'Urbervilles' ticket giveaway happening on my blog.

MONDAY (8 dec)

Angela Bower (AKA Christine Bougie & Dafydd Hughes; residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7pm, pwyc.

Brooke Harris & friends @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

Shoeless Mondays feat. Born To Busk @ 11:15, Balkana @ 10:15, and The Wax Poets @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Elvis Monday feat. Aids Junkie Scum, Adopted Refugees, The Kettle Black, Adam Faux & the Exploding Band, Witch Ever, The Effens, and more @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, free.

Rattlesnake Choir (residency) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, free.

Dimebag Tribute Show feat. APE, Sentient, and Theory Astray @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

Slowdance (Friends Explode DJs) feat. Pirate/Rock and Bozay! @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, free.

Panic Density feat. Lumston @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Bryan Arcand (residency) w/ Nathan Cyprys and Random Task Force@ The Cameron House (Front Room), 9:30pm, pwyc.

Marcel Aucoin, Michael Holt, and Calamity Royale & her Minions @ Not My Dog, 8pm.

Decade, Anaeq, End of the World 1969, and Yoshi @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm.

TUESDAY (9 oct)

Chloe & Joelle @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. Cheers In The Belfry @ 11:40, Les Gars @ 10:50, Bellevue @ 10:00, and Tales To Astonish @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

* The Pink & Black Attack presents The Heatskores (final show) w/ The Wierdies and Corporation @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

Paul Linklater & His Murmurers (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 7-9pm, pwyc.

Alexandra Ribera & band (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 10pm, free.

St. Dirt Elementary School (residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Convergence Quartet, The Audience, and The Circus Circus @ Concord Cafe, 8:30pm (start time), pwyc.

Flashlight Radio and Roxanne Potvin @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 9pm, $5.

John Moore and others @ Not My Dog, 9pm, pwyc?

Eric Chenaux & Ryan Driver w/ Anhai (CD release) and Nilan Perrerra @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

The Key Frames and Parkside @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 8:30pm, pwyc.

Best of the Open Stage w/ Marcus Walker, Malone Smith, Matt Froese, Christin Anderson, and Vedette @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

A DADOO Christmas Special feat. The Disraelis, The Vive Quebec Libres, Mother Murder, Planet Creature, and Tough Knuckles @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

* Still Life Still, The Rural Alberta Advantage, and Rudely Interrupted @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5.

Pitter Patter Nights feat. The Leonids, La Casa Muerte, Bron Halpin @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

The Clearing, Bramwell Park & the Leftovers, The Audiovisuals, and Xenia Vakova @ Smiling Buddha, 9:30pm, $5?

Jack Vorvis / Jeremy Strachan @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6.

WEDNESDAY (10 oct)

Acoustic Espionage @ Silver Dollar, 6-9pm, free. Weekly songwriters open stage event, hosted by Tim Harrison and Noah Zacharin. Plus, "$3.99 Buffet with purchase of any Amsterdam product." Followed by High Lonesome Wednesdays w/ Crazy Strings (bluegrass music), 9:30pm.

Granny Boots @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7:30-10pm, free. Lineup tba.

The Annex WreckRoom & IndieCan Radio present IndieCan Wednesdays feat. Kathy Taylor, Top Dead Centre, and The 40 Thieves @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, free.

Bump It feat. Yo-Ev and So Soft @ Augusta House, 9pm, free.

Rock 'n Roll Pornography w/ Guitar Hero live on stage and a live performance by Classic Black Sabbath Tribute Band @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

Laura Repo (residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

PWYC Weds feat. Wilderness of Manitoba, Morningseed House, Hungry Lake, and Patrick Brealey @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc.

Dean Lickyer (10pm-1am) and Scott McCord & the Bonafide Truth (8pm) @ The Cadillac Lounge.

Steamboat Revue @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

CaMp CoMbO @ Grafitti's, 10pm-midnight, pwyc.

Benihana, Stack & Large, and more @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5?

Brian Gladstone & Friends Open Jam feat. David & Ariana Gillis @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, pwyc.

The Done Me Wrongs w/ Mr. Rick & the Biscuits @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5?

Scott Russell and others @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5?

James Plouffe & the Shotgun Wedding Band @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 10pm, $5?

Daniel Berkal, Scott Russell, Julian Petti, and Crawling Quiet (CD release) @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5?

Slapback Mountain, The O'Darling, and Babarella @ Concord Cafe, 9pm, $5?

Jesse & The Rippers feat. Paige Clarke (2 sets) @ Rearview Mirror (ex Bread & Circus, 193 Baldwin St.), 9pm, $5.

* Holly and Inessa Reveal All feat. Holly Prazoff, Inessa Frantowski, and Alana Johnston (comedy), w/ Laura Barrett, By Divine Right, and The Bicycles @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5. Should be great! Comedy first, then music.

Tyler Yarema w/ Luke Nicholson @ C'est What, 9pm, $7.

Black, White & Acoustic (songwriter night) @ Clinton's, 9pm, $10. B&W dress code.

No Official Capacity presents Warmachine, Muffin, Nexus, and Pyramid Theorem @ The Reverb, 7pm, $10. All ages.

THURSDAY (11 oct)

Michelle Rumball's Beauty Saloon Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

The Cafe Ole @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

The Flints (CD release & listening party) @ The Gladstone Hotel (8pm-midnight), free.

Half Beat Mishap, Spoonful of Blues, and The Steve Poloni Group @ Concord Cafe, 9pm, $5.

Ancient Chinese Secret (residency) @ The Cadillac Lounge, 7:30pm, free.

Malcolm Bauld, My Divine Right (Jose from By Divine Right, solo), and Abigail Lapell @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, $?

The Christina Maria Group w/ Stefi Beck @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 9pm, pwyc?

Live Jazz Thursdays feat. Shai Locke @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Luke Burton @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Jory Nash, Matthew Hailstone @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

The Pariahs and The New Kings @ 751 Queen St. W. (basement), 10pm, pwyc.

Rough Skeletons, Antler, and M. Mucci @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 10pm (start time), pwyc. Antler is great. The rest, I don't know. But you can't go wrong with pwyc.

* gangLion Comics Launch Party feat. Gravity Wave, Entire Cities, Paul Weadick, Steven McKay, Chris Eakins, Slippers and more @ Habesha Club (875 Bloor St. W at Ossington), 9pm, $5.

CANCELLED * Ketch Harbour Wolves, Spirits, and The Rest @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

Salem Saints w/ Easy Sleezy & the Prefect @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $5.

AppleBox, The Flat Planets, and The Handsome Nobodies, w/ "special mystery guests" @ Clinton's Tavern, 9pm, $5.

Babylon Telecom w/ DJs MFFN, Rob Nice, and Nemo Burbank @ Augusta House (152a Augusta Ave., right beside the Boat), 8pm, $5/non-perishable food donation for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Eamon McGrath, 40 Thieves, Nature Moves Faster, and Ghostwalk Creek @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $5.

Golden Ghetto (CD release) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5.

Darkside presents Night of Terror (bands + movie in the back) feat. Ash Lee Blade and Borealis @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

The Commune presents Psych Night feat. The New State, The Evelyn Room, The Merry Warners, and The Odyssseys @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 8:30pm, $6.

* TWM presents The Craft Economy (CD release) w/ Whale Tooth, Provincial Parks, and DJ Mark Lawrence @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $7 (or $5 w/ canned food donation).

* Familiar Music Holiday Party feat. Shelby Lamb, Megan Hamilton, Deromantic, and Products of Better Living @ The Boat, 7:30pm, $8. All ticket sales to benefit the Music Therapy Program at SickKids.

Vercity (CD release) w/ Polarity and Your Good Friends @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $8.

For Those About To Rock: AC/DC Tribute Night @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, $10.

* David Simard (EP release) w/ Leif Vollebekk @ Rearview Mirror (ex Bread & Circus), 9:30pm, $10.

* Eric Chenaux w/ Suncircle (Zach Wallace & Greg Davis) and Birdshow (Ben Vida) @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 9pm, $tba.

FRIDAY (12 oct)

David Woodhead & Friends @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Gypsy Rebels @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

* Tusks and Major Grange @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Get Throwed feat. Wizdome, Al Bundy, and AR @ Augusta House (152a August Ave.), 10pm, free (before 11:30pm, $5 after).

Flash Lightnin' (2-year anniversary) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $2?

Inflatable w/ Keith Shiner @ Clinton's, 8pm, $5.

Rehab For Quitters, The Groopies, Head Shrinkers, Black Cat Attack, and West End Riot @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5.

Bad Blood (first show in 8 years) and No Assembly Required, w/ DJ sets by the Darth Virgos AL911 & Billy Geek @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

* Modernboys Moderngirls w/ Everything All the Time and DJ Sofi Papamarko @ Supermarket, 9:30pm, $5.

Daniel McKenzie, Nancy Silverman, Allie Hughes, and Marianne Turner @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, $?

C'mon @ 12:15, Drunkula @ 11:00, and Hot Kid @ 10:00, w/ Catl playing in between sets. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $7.

John Moore @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9pm, $7

The Rotten, The Daily Times, Rackshot, and Dead City Citizens @ Lee's Palace, 8pm, $8.

* (weewerk) is 6! feat. FemBots, Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers), Kate Maki, Julie Fader, Charlotte Cornfield, and Jenny Omnichord @ WhipperSnapper Gallery, 9pm, $10 (or $8 adv). Opening party w/ art show from 7-8:30pm, free. Lovely country-folk-rock stuff.

* No Shame presents Rock 'Em Sock 'Em w/ The D'Urbervilles, Katie Stelmanis, and Mantler @ Tiger Bar, 9pm, $10 (or $8 adv). Awesome.

Trout (CD release) @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 7:30pm, $10 (cover incl copy of the CD).

* $100 (7" release), Richard Laviolette (w/ band), and The Pining @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $10 (or $8 adv). Adv tix recommended for this one. $100 is one of my favourite bands. This will be tops, and full.

* DD/MM/YYYY Video Launch Party feat. DD/MM/YYYY (DJ set), Romo Roto, Narwhalz, and Ear Pwr @ Cinecycle, 10pm, $10.

The von Drats (CD release) w/ The Wayouts and Mississippi Grover@ Cadillac Lounge, 9pm, $10 (incl free 45 while supplies last). This is also a canned food drive.

SATURDAY (13 oct)

The Hot Five Jazzmakers (residency) @ C'est What, 3pm (start time), $5.

John Borra Band (residency) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4pm, pwyc.

Cadillac Ranch Country Matinee feat. tba @ Cadillac Lounge, 4-7pm.

* Max & Frank Evans & the Family Supper String Band (CD release) w/ Tiny Bill Cody @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

The Calrizians' Christmas Show @ Cadillac Lounge, 9pm, $?

The Warped 45s w/ Selina Martin and Annelise Noronha @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm,$?

Rok for Food feat. Frankie Whyte & the Dead Idols, Rosedale, Bury the Bully, Rise for Order, and "celebrity MCs," w/ DJ sets by Rob Dyer @ Rok Boutique, 9pm, free w/ canned food donation, or pwyc.

The Grim Preachers (2-3 sets) w/ Patrick Grant, Leah Erbe, and Bajcar @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 9pm, $5.

Loving In the Name Of (party) feat. The Best (Sebastien Grainger, Matt Murphy, Josh Reichmann, Nick Sewell, Max McCabe-Lokos, Amanda Burt, Nobu Adilman) w/ DJs Disappointment, Product Placement, and Strictly Commercial, and dances by Loose Crew @ Lee's Palace, 9pm, $5. Songs by T-Rex, Robert Palmer, The Doors, Lionel Ritchie, and Prince.

Hip-Hop Food Drive for the Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank feat. wordPEOPLE, RaSoul, Miles Jones, and Phonic Lab @ Rearview Mirror (ex Bread & Circus), 9pm, free w/ a non-perishable food item.

The Muppet Show Show feat. Jessica Stuart (playing songs from the Muppet Show) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 6pm, pwyc.

Dwarf Star (CD release), Crack Mattress, and A Young Wife @ Keep Six Gallery (938 Bathurst, north of Bloor), 8pm-midnight, $5 or pwyc.

* Maylee Todd, Bellewoods, Proof of Ghosts, and The Cheap Speakers @ The Delaware House, 8pm, pwyc.

Salonapalooza (variety show) feat. Guy Few, Patricia O'Callaghan, The Caliban Quartet, TorQ Percussion Quartet, Lush, The Beached Buoys, The Ant Farm Ensemble, plus comedy and theatre @ Tranzac (Main Hall?), 8:30pm, pwyc.

* Ryan Masters Band, Jordaan Mason & the Horse Museum, Carnival Moon, Book (Paul Norrish), and Whatever Jailer @ Unit 102 (46 Noble St.), 7pm, $5.

Not the Wind, Not the Flag @ 6 Nassau St., 9pm, $5.

Dance Electric and Revolution Love @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

TWM presents Horses, Plastics Inc, and The Orphan Choir @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

The Hots' Xmas Party feat. Geezer (Weezer cover band), The Hots, and Wildlife @ The Wiltshire Residence (1 Wiltshire Ave., unit 116), 9pm, $5. BYOB. "Twister Tournaments... Ugly Christmas Sweater Contests...raffles... Christmas tunes... homemade cookies," and more.

Iron Giant, Maximum RNR, and Bastard Child Death Cult, w/ DJ Vania @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $6.

* Base War 12 (1 Year Anniversary Party) feat. OPOPO, Famous Players, Egyptrixx, Sidenote, and Errol vs Dvsn @ Z (822 Dundas St. W), 10pm, $7 (or $5 for groups of 3 or more). Dance party.

Capital Grass & the No Men w/ Young Contrarians @ C'est What, 9:30pm, $7.

* No Shame presents Rock 'Em Sock 'Em w/ The D'Urbervilles, Bocce, and Slow Hand Motem @ Tiger Bar, 9pm, $10 (or $8 adv). Awesome.

Run with the Kittens @ 12:15, Jay Spectre @ 10:45, and Dirty Penny @ 9:30. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $10.

The 3tards, B.A. Johnston, Broomfiller, Corporation, Drop Dead Pin-Ups, Outbred Inlaws, Omega 3 Fatty Asses, and Oral Concentration @ Kathedral, 6pm, $10. All ages. "Please bring a non-perishable food item."

Abstract Thought Event Promotions presents Storyville Project, Marissa Saroca, Jordan Setacci, and Thank the Academy @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 7:30pm, $10.

S & S Promotions presents Trapdoor, The Ocean Buried, Dancing With Paris, Cadency, Next Floor Up, Grindstone, Midnight Pilot, and Dynasis Grove @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 6pm, $10. All ages.

SUNDAY (14 oct)

Festive Brunch Show w/ Amélie et Les Singes Bleus and more @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), noon, pwyc.

Taxi Chain @ Mitzi's Sister, 5-7pm, pwyc.

Michael Brennan, Steve Briggs, and Rob Clark (residency) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4-7pm, pwyc.

John Borra & Sam Ferrara (residency) @ The Communist's Daughter, 5pm, pwyc.

Gordon's Acoustic Living Room @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, free.

* Nick Zubeck, Yiiu, and Lisa Bozikovic @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7-9pm, pwyc.

* Wavelength 443 feat. Disguises, Catl, and Bitter City, w/ DJs The Professor and Miss Priss @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc.

* Gather Round feat. Hamilton Trading Co., Malcolm Bauld, Silver Speakers, and Gates Gates Gates @ The Boat, 9pm, pwyc.

Katie DuTemple & the Stay Toughs @ Concord Cafe, 8-11pm, $5.

Rancho Relaxo presents Rock the Clashbah, A Tribute to the Clash @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $7. Bands playing covers include The Wilderness, Provincial Parks, Leonids, The Boo, The Quantum Jitters, and Blood Rexdale & the Walls Are Blonde.

The Big Bop presents Hello Beautiful w/ Afternoon Zero, Alright Alright, The Machams, and The Ocean Buried @ The Reverb, 7pm, $10. All ages.

Ticket Giveaway: Rock 'Em Sock 'Em w/ The D’Urbervilles.

No Shame is presenting Rock 'Em Sock 'Em, the D’Urbervilles’ two-night stand at Tiger Bar next Friday and Saturday, 12–13 December. Friday night the D’Urbs—who made my list of the hottest Canadian under-the-radar bands in 2008—welcome rising star Katie Stelmanis and Toronto indie king Mantler as openers. Saturday it’s electro band Bocce and Slow Hand Motem, a group popular west of the city but yet to make its mark here. I know. I can’t decide which lineup’s better either. They both showcase different aspects of the D'Urbervilles' sound and musical influences. That, and the band gets to see some of their favourite acts for free.

The D’Urbervilles are great! Perfect blend of pop and rock and interesting, with energetic, entertaining live shows. I’ve been itching for more since I saw them perform at Pop Montreal in early October (see photo), and I’ve been spending lots of time with their album, We Are The Hunters, since its March release. The band hasn't played in Toronto since June (!), so now's your chance to catch these guys.

Thanks to No Shame (i.e. Lauren Schreiber) I’ve got a pair of tickets to give away for each show. If you win, you and a guest gets in for free that night. The rest of you can still go; advance tickets for each show are available at Soundscapes and Rotate This for $8, or you can pay $10 at the door. Here’s the Facebook event with all the details about the shows.

For a chance to win tickets for Friday, e-mail me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom with your name in the message and “Friday” in the subject line. For Saturday, do the same thing but write “Saturday.” I want your e-mails in by the end of Wednesday. Totally fool-proof (and humourless) instructions. I’ll be at both shows if I can swing it. Yipee! And, btw, Tiger Bar is in the basement of the Crown & Tiger bar on College at Lippincott, 1 block east of Bathurst.

Download: To give you a preview of the live show, here's the D'Urbs playing "Spin the Bottle" at NxNE last June. And here's "Dragnet" off their album, We Are The Hunters. These giveaways are cool, eh? A little bit of publicity for good bands/show, free things for you, and free things for me. Win-win-win.

UPDATE: I gots winners! Congrats to Isabela and Nadia, and thanks to the rest of you for entering.

Ticket/CD Giveaway: The Craft Economy, Whale Tooth, Provincial Parks.

All good things come in threes, right? Here's my third prize pack giveaway of the week . . . this one's for the Craft Economy's EP release show at Sneaky Dee's on Thursday, 11 December. Also on the bill that night are Whale Tooth, a band I've yet to see but am promised I will love, and Provincial Parks, a band I have seen and quite enjoy. (Their new record's great, too.) The winner of this one will get a spot on the guestlist + 1, and copies of the EP for both of you. So, two tickets and two EPs. I've seen the Craft Economy once before, and remember the band for their high energy performance complete with matching outfits. This will for sure be a fun night. Bring your pop music dancing shoes.

If you love happy pop music too, send me an e-mail at historyjenATgmailDOTcom with your name in the message and "The Craft Economy isn't in recession" (groan, haha) in the subject line. Do this by next Monday night, 8 December, so I can let the winner (and the band) know on Tuesday.

Stick with me for all your indie music show-going needs this month, peeps, apparently.
UPDATE: I have a winner! Thanks for entering.

Podcast 20 (1-7 Dec 2008).

Tyler and Jen talk to Sari Delmar of Audio Blood Media / Nevado Records / etc. Featuring songs by Teen Anger ("Brain Hiccup"), Brett Caswell ("Fool Me Once"), Bass Lions ("Ransom the Sunset"), Sunparlour Players ("John Had a Bell and a Whistle"), The Bicycles ("What a Fool"), and Louwop ("Journey," feat. Theo 3 and Roach Uno).

Listen: http://zygiella.com/historyjen

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=282270866

RSS: http://www.zygiella.com/rss/podcasts/zygiellapodcasts.rss

Click the last link to download this and the other episodes.

Ticket/CD Giveaway: Still Life Still, RAA, Rudely Interrupted

I've got a prize pack for The MuseBox show on 9 December feat. Rudely Interrupted (Australia), Still Life Still, and The Rural Alberta Advantage at Sneaky Dee's. If you get it, you'll get yourself 2 tickets to the Tuesday show, a copy of the RAA's album, Hometowns, and a copy of Rudely Interrupted's Dont Break My Heart EP (special UN edition).

What's this UN business, you ask? Well, Rudely Interrupted is a rock band whose members---5/6 of them---have physical and/or mental disabilities. They'll be playing in New York at the UN for International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, and are making a stop in Toronto before heading back overseas. Yes, this is a band on a mission, but it's a good one. And, the music's pretty okay, too. Chart Magazine has more on the band and the tour here.

Local greats the Rural Alberta Advantage and Still Life Still round out the bill of this unique show which promises much musical intensity. The RAA is one of the best unsigned acts in the country with a fantastic debut CD to their name. I listen to it a lot, as will you. I've yet to see indie rockers SLS, but after what I've heard, I have high expectations of their live show.

Download: "Frank, AB" from the Rural Alberta Advantage's Hometowns.

To win the prize pack, e-mail me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom with your name in the message and "I'm Rudely Interrupting You" as the subject line, and do so by Sunday night, December 7. You'll get the CDs at the show.
UPDATE: Got a winner. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Ticket/CD Giveaway: ONFF, Bass Lions, Brett Caswell.

Lots of giveaways on this blog lately! This one's for a show/CD package, provided by Audio Blood Media. The show's this coming Friday, 5 December, at Rancho Relaxo. It's Audio Blood and TWM's Jingle Bell Hop featuring Oh No Forest Fires, Bass Lions, and Brett Caswell & the Marquee Rose. These are all really good local(ish)indie pop rock acts, but there's definite variety to this billing... from folk-tinged rock to spastic math pop... or something. Promises to be a solid night of music. For serious. Check out the MySpace offerings for a better sense.

What's up for grabs, you ask? Two tickets to the show (guestlist + 1), a copy of Bass Lions's debut EP, "More Than Islands," and a copy of Brett Caswell's solo effort, "Love Waiting." Yipee! Lots of great music.

To win the prize pack, e-mail me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom by the end of Wednesday, 3 December. Include your full name in the message and "Jingle Bell Hop" in the subject line. (You'll get the CDs when you arrive at the show.)

[Thanks, Pete, for the photo of Oh No Forest Fires's Rajiv Thavanathan.]

Indie Music 61 (1-7 Dec 2008).

Like this list? Join my Google Group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Or, the Facebook group. Subscribe to my weekly podcast here. Or just listen to the latest one, and all the other ones, at Zygiella.

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, and never ones that require advance ticket purchases. If I'm missing something or you have any comments, let me know.

I had a great show week. What did I take in? Ok, in order from first to last: Provincial Parks, Library Voices (10 people on the Bovine stage, crazy), The Rural Alberta Advantage, Ohbijou, The Acorn (holy shit!), The Danks, Boys Who Say No, and Two Hours Traffic (fantastic). I've got reviews and photos of the Saturday and Friday night shows on my blog.

There are some great shows happening this week. Monday you can catch 2008 Polaris long list nominee Justin Rutledge in an intimate performance at the Cameron House's front room, or help Elvis Monday celebrate it's 25 anniversary! On Tuesday Bad Flirt's at the Silver Dollar Room with local band Morning Electric, or head to Supermarket for a folk show, both $6. On Wednesday you have a wider choice: Sneaks, the Horseshoe, Tattoo, and the Drake are all good bets depending on what you're in the mood for, and you might enjoy Rancho Relaxo or the Annex WreckRoom's offerings too. (I'll be at a private function at the Rivoli, enjoying Hey Rosetta! and Dinosaur Bones, yay me.) On Thursday I'm recommending the house party with Maylee Todd, the Key Witness show at Sneaky Dee's, Wax Mannequin at the Boat, Clara Engel at the Tranza'c front room, the CD release party happening in the Tranzac's main hall, or Knock Knock Ginger at Smiling Buddha. Friday and Saturday... lots more, including a two-day residency by the fantastic Sunparlour Players at the Dakota Tavern. Otherwise, on Friday check out the holiday party at Rancho with Oh No Forest Fires and Bass Lions, The Two Koreas and the Hoa Hoa's at the Silver Dollar, "threesomes night" at the Bovine, or the Peter Project CD release show with Wordburglar and Masia One at Keep Six Gallery. Local favourite's The Coast are back in town Saturday at Sneaky Dee's with The Bicycles, or head to the Tranzac for a Michael Jackson tribute show featuring JM McNab (Key Witness), Geordie Gordon (The Magic), and Shelby Lamb. Yonder's at the Rivoli with Mandibles Saturday night, too. And finally, Sunday. There's a 12-hours charity event at the Boat featuring a lot of bands, a different charity event (with bake sale) in Kensington Market, and Wavelength's got an eclectic jazz/experimental/improv/hip hop bill. Phew! No reason to be bored in this city. Ever.

This week at Somewhere There a 3-day festival is happening, called the Martin Tetreault Interface. If you're into improv, experimental stuff (or think you might be), check out all the details at http://www.somewherethere.org/calendar.php. I haven't been good about listings these kind of events, so bookmark that page if you're keen on such things.

The Flying Eyes download cards are going out in the mail today. Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll draw winners for the Christine Bougie / Dafydd Hughes CD tomorrow, so let me know if you want in.

MONDAY (1 dec)

Shoeless Monday feat. Empty Chamber @ 11:15, John Shoes @ 10:15, and Big Stereo @ 9:15.The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Elvis Monday 24th Anniversary Show feat. Groovy Religion, Meryn Cadell, Noah Mintz (ex hHead), Bob Snider, A Neon Rome, Still Life Still, La Casa Muerte, and The People of Canada @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, free.

Jake Chisholm @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7pm, pwyc.

Panic Density feat. Adjemian/Brenders/Lumley @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

* Justin Rutledge and Bryan Arcand @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 9:30pm, pwyc.

Slowdance (Friends Explode DJs) feat. To Downcast Yours Eyes and Bozay @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, free.

Dark Tokes presents Gardenia, Glass Tomb, and Skull Bong @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5/pwyc.

TUESDAY (2 dec)

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. The State of Things @ 11:40, Slow Motion Explosion @ 10:50, 18th Dye @ 10:00, and Devon Williams @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

The Pink & Black Attack presents Callahan and Kingdoms @ The Bovine, 9pm, free.

St. Dirt Elementary School @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

The Human Statues Presents feat. Dave Borins, Mike Celia, Curtis Santiago, Nika Smith and Senor Kasio @ Bread & Circus, 9pm, pwyc. This is a new series.

Great Aunt Ida @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

The Calrizians @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

The Whiners @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

Jon Travis, Erik Bleich, Kevin Scott, Andrew Thomas Hunter, and The Sugar Dimes @ Smiling Buddha, 8pm, $?.

* Bad Flirt, Morning Electric, and Flashlight Radio @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $6.

* GoodSoundsGood presents Folk Yeah! feat. Melissa Dalton, Wendy Leung & the Iron L(e)ungs, Lara Martin, and Shawn Jurek @ Supermarket, 9pm, $6/pwyc.

The Moxy @ 10:00 and First Person Shooter @ 9:00. Lee's Palace, 8:30pm, $8.

WEDNESDAY (3 dec)

The Annex WreckRoom & IndieCan Radio present IndieCan Wednesdays feat. Night Flowers, Sean Jones, and Dr. DFunkt @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, free.

Must Be Santa Christmas/Anniversary Party feat. The Killaz @ The Bovine, 9pm, free.

Dean Lickyer @ The Cadillac Lounge, 10pm, free.

Jeff Cole, The Deficits, Jordan Leech, Alex Woodrow, Elissa Gallai, Rex Baunsit, and Jenna Steele @ Smiling Buddha, 7pm, pwyc.

Jeremy Robinson @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

PWYC Weds feat. A Northern Drawl, The Boo, and Vedette @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc.

Brodie Dakin, Robb Mirsky, and Sarah Skellington @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Brian Gladstone & Friends Open Jam feat. Shawn Brush @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, pwyc.

* View Points: Inside The Musicians Studio w/ Slim Twig and Rolf Klausener (The Acorn) @ Harbourfront Centre, 7pm (start time), $5. Discussion, not music.

Dodge Fiasco @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm (start time), $5.

* The Balconies and The Little Deaths @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

Carolyn T Band and Allie Hughes @ C'est What, 9:30pm, $5.

* Telephone Explosion 1st Anniversary Party feat. Human Eye, Holy Cobras, Teen Anger, and The Bang Bangs @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $8.

* Jerry Leger (CD release) @ 11:00, Andrew DeVillers @ 10:00pm, and Laura Repo @ 9:00. @ The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $8.

Lemuel & Emmett w/ Garden Gate, Dean McKinnon, Lizzie Laywine & Aidan Drake, and Kalila Badali @ Concord Cafe, 7pm, $10 (or $8 adv).

* People In Planes w/ Modernboys Moderngirls @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $10.

THURSDAY (4 dec)

Lesley Young Trio @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

David Woodhead & friends @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

* Acoustic show feat. Maylee Todd and Mikey Muscat @ 485 Clarens Ave., 9pm, pwyc. BYOB.

The Toads @ Rok Boutique, 9pm, free.

Lorraine Leckie (CD release) w/ Saint Helen @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9pm, free.

Ancient Chinese Secret @ The Cadillac Lounge, 7:30pm, pwyc.

Live Jazz Thursdays feat. Jon Feldman Quartet @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

NUDe as the NEWs presents Party Time, Erika Werry, and Life, Love, Faith @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Ian White @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

* Clara Engel and tba @ Tranzac (Tiki Room), 10pm, pwyc.

Barf Pigeons and The New Kings @ 751 Queen St. W (basement), 10:30pm (start time), $?.

HomeWreckords presents Goodbye Glory w/ Space is for Stars and Isle of Thieves @ Reverb, 9pm, $5.

Receivers, Full Speed Velocipede, and The Little Deaths @ The Velvet Underground, 8pm (start time), $5. No Shame recommended.

Squeeky & the Terribles, King Solomon, Bo Cairo, and Second the Motion @ Concord Cafe, 8pm, $5.

Treestar (EP release), Polarcare, The Market Fever, and Dog Is Blue @ Clinton's, 8:30pm, $5.

One True Faith (members of Zuku and Kill Cheerleader) and Revolution Love @ The Bovine, 9pm, $5.

Taylor Knox & the Ishmaels, William Delray & the Sexy Moving Parts, and Ex~Po @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

* Key Witness, Clouds (that look like things), and Streetlight Light @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5.

Lorne Ryder Band @ Mitzi's Sister, 9pm, $6.

* Wax Mannequin (full band) and Rae Spoon @ The Boat, 9pm, $7.

* Heaven's Just a Kiss Away presents Don Lennon w/ Knock Knock Ginger, and HJKA DJs @ Smiling Buddha, 10pm, $6.

The Jolly Jam feat. The Shenanigans, Proxy Set, Stefi Beck Band, Don Campbell, and The Ender Brothers @ The Rivoli, 9pm, pwyc. Donations of food or money expected. Proceeds to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Roger Edwards Annual Xmas Fundraiser feat. Bunkhouse Romeo (3 sets) @ 9:15, 10:15, and 11:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, pwyc (donations).

* Christine Bougie & Dafydd Hughes (CD release) w/ Mantler @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8pm, $10.

Mystery Roadshow w/ The Great Orbax, Baptized in Blood, Lowdown, Bombing Neverland, and Latefallen @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $10.

FRIDAY (5 dec)

Chris Bottomley's Brainfudge @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

Groovy Julia @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9:30pm, free.

Canary Mine, Newberry vs. Newberry, and Jimi Maze @ Mitzi's Sister, 9pm, $?.

The Uplifters @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge, 7:30pm, pwyc.

The Outlanders @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Michael Brennan and Steve Briggs @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

Songwriters Unite! Monthly Showcase feat. Jude Haines, The Flyboys, Jaded, Annie Marleau, Neil Conway, Peter J. Slack & Jen Gillmor, Sam Turton, and Ellie Avisai w/ host Russell Leon and special guest Marcus Walker @ Graffiti's, 9pm (start time), pwyc.

Wapstan, Kvik, Grkgl, and tba @ 39 Huron St. ("Drone Hole"), 9pm, pwyc.

Wanda Jackson & the Rizdales @ The Cadillac Lounge, 10pm, $?.

* Peter Project (CD release) w/ The Fire Flower Revue, Wordburglar, and Masia One @ Keep Six Gallery (938 Bathurst, north of Bloor), 8pm, $5.

Minus the Royals and Shoot the Cameraman @ Clinton's, 9pm, $5.

Room Party feat. Young Flux (11pm) and DJ Pammm @ The Boat, 10pm, $5.

Lost Compound 03 feat. DJ Satta Don Dada, John Kameel Farah, This Instrument, DJ_Blndr, The First Seed, Otherpeoplesmusic, Talixen, and Traits (video set) @ Z (812 Dundas St. W), 10pm, $5. Other stuff, too.

Lunchmeat (EP release) w/ The Guest Bedroom, Ancestors, and Dead Messenger @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5.

Sparkling White, The Sitwells, Coal Mine Canaries, and Mark Martyre @ Smiling Buddha, 8pm, $5 min donation to the Toronto Wildlife Centre.

* Threesomes Night feat. The Rival Boys, Dead Sexy Sheila, PURRR, and The Disraelis, w/ DJ sets by the Darth Virgos AL911 & Billy Geek @ The Bovine, 9pm, $5.

* Audio Blood Media and TWM present Jingle Bell Hop feat. Oh No Forest Fires, Bass Lions, Brett Caswell & the Marquee Rose, w/ DJ Earl Grey @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $7 (or $5 w/ canned food donation).

Auresia (CD release) feat. Cyborg and Jah Pong, w/ Makaya @ Harlem, $10 (CD incl), 11pm. Reggae.

* The Hoa Hoa's, The Two Koreas, The Easy Targets, Picturesound, and Dan Kosub @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $7.

* Sunparlour Players @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm (start time), $tba. Go early; this will fill up.

S & S Promotions presents Dawn Valley ,Storm The Shores, Oh The Agony, Closed For Tonight, and more @ Kathedral, 6pm, $10.

SATURDAY (6 dec)

* Quest For Fire (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 5pm, free. All ages. Bring a donation for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Tin Roof Rusted @ Cadillac Lounge, 10pm, $?.

Al Tuck and Erika Werry @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

Dean Lickyer (CD release) @ Rok Boutique, 9pm.

* Michael Jackson Tribute feat. Shelby Lamb, Geordie Gordon (The Magic), and JM McNab (Key Witness) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Sunlit Ambush, Touch Me Airborne Plague, and Earsz, w/ DJ sets by Sinary Thread and Fez Beret @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Thief Dialect @ 12:30, Tomorrow's Glory @ 11:30, The.World.Is.Flat @ 10:30, and When Earth Sleeps @ 9:30. Lee's Palace, 9pm, $5.

Ninja Funk Orchestra, Chloe & Joelle, and God's Gift to Yoda @ Concord Cafe, 9pm, $5.

Sara Kamin, Kat Goldman, Linda M, and Amy Campbell @ C'est What, 9:30pm, $6.

TWM 30 feat. The Weathermaking Challenge, Racoon Wedding, The Primordials, and Blanc en White @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $6.

Yonder w/ Mandibles @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $6.

* The Coast, The Bicycles, David Martel, and the Elwins @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $10 (or $8 in adv).

Hank (LP release) w/ Nifty, and DJ The Robotic Kid @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8:30pm, $10.

Atherial, Harvard Is My Safety, Fusion, Planet4, Aberdeen @ El Mocambo (Upstairs), 6pm, $10. All ages.

Louwop (CD release) @ Harlem Lounge (67 Richmond St. E) w/ Roach Uno, S.O.S., and hosted by PHatt Al, 10pm, $?.

Lucky Fool, Jetset Motel, The Northwest Division @ Silver Dollar, 11pm (late show), $tba.

The Matthews Brothers and A History of Petty Crime @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 10pm, $tba.

* Sunparlour Players @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm (start time), $tba. Go early; this will fill up.

SUNDAY (7 dec)

Makita Hack & the Logrollers @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 5-8pm, free.

Dinah Thorpe and Liza Bozikovic @ St. Stephen-in-the-Fields (103 Bellevue at College), 6:30pm, pwyc. All ages. Proceeds to St-Stephen's Community Meal Programs. There's a bakesale too.

The Debonaires Family Christmas @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

* Wavelength 442 feat. Canaille, Theology 3, and Louwop, w/ DJ Frank's 2000 Inch TV @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc.

The Woodchoppers Association @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10:30pm, pwyc.

Women In Tragedy, Doom Tickler, Gravitons, and Almost Blue Sunshine @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Rock-a-Thon @ The Boat, noon-midnight, $5. All proceeds to SickKids Foundation. Here's the lineup:
12:00 A Man Called J (Jon Sohn; solo, doing EELS covers)

12:30 Defending Otis
1:00 Corey Morden
1:50 The Black Fever
2:40 Hamilton Trading Company
3:30 Swing You Sinners
4:20 DCT
5:10 68pornomags
6:00 Mackenzie King
6:50 First Noise, Then Silence
7:40 Tenth of May
8:30 Curses!
9:20 Dirty Penny
10:10 Tripping Hazard
11:00 Fire Hydrant

CD Giveaway: Christine Bougie & Dafydd Hughes

Christine Bougie (guitar) and Dafydd Hughes (keys) are fixtures in the Toronto music world, well known as skilled accompanyists. They take the spotlight, playing their own work, each Monday at the Tranzac’s front room in the duo project called Angela Bower. Except, that is, for this week, when they’re moving the show to the Main Hall on Thursday. There the pair will celebrate the release of their new CD, entitled “This Is Awesome.” I’ve got a couple copies of the CD to give away. It’s pretty and the music is great, a definite keeper.

The album contains 13 instrumental pieces. The songs are mostly quiet and introspective, inviting contemplation of the listener. It’s the kind of music I will listen to when I want no obvious distractions from my own thoughts, but like to have something to listen to. These are perfect sitting and reading songs, but with definite personality and musical interest. I don’t have much in the way of instrumental music in my collection, and am glad to have this when I’m not in the mood for indie pop. Maybe you’ll feel the same way.

Yeah? If you want a copy of the CD, e-mail me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom with your name and mailing address. I’ll draw names randomly and mail out the CDs in a few days.

For more information, and to check out a couple tracks from the new album, head here.

The release show is Thursday, 4 Dec, at the Tranzac (Main Hall). Mantler opens things up, and then Christine Bougie and Dafydd Hughes share their record with us. Doors are at 8pm and the cover is $10.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who entered. I'm mailing out CDs to the winners today!

Two Hours Traffic, Boys Who Say No, and The Danks @ WhipperSnapper.

Two Hours Traffic is the real deal. Friday night the Charlottetown, PEI band rolled into town with the Danks to end their Canada-wide tour with an all-ages show at a College St. art gallery, the WhipperSnapper. The last time THT played Toronto, it was at Lee's Palace, so I was keen on seeing them at it much smaller venue. There were some unexpected parts to the show, including the presence of Brooklyn glam rockers Semi Precious Weapons in the audience, and eight CBC television cameras filming THT's entire set. No joke. It would have been a night to talk about no matter what the music was like.

"Little Jabs," the sophomore album by Two Hours Traffic, was on the Polaris shortlist this year. I've been listening to it incessantly for the past several days, in preparation for the show, and I just love it. These guys play pop music that's at times a bit of a throwback, and it's just so gosh darn catchy and happy that it puts me in a good mood. Anyways, my point? I had high expections for the band!

They did not disappoint. Each song---they performed 16 including a two-song encore---upped the ante on any recorded output I've heard. The set was marvelously fun; the band had great energy and no antics were required to get the crowd jumping happily and clapping for an hour or so. Seriously, it was great. If you haven't heard their stuff, yet, take a listen to "Jezebel," "Stuck For the Summer," "Heroes of the Sidewalk," and "Sure Can Start," for a start. And now imagine them played even better a few feet in front of you. By the end I was left with one overriding thought: this band is fantastic and their star will rise. From the sounds of their new songs, they've got another good record coming out in a few months---"five or six months," one of them told me. If they can keep it together and continue to write and perform tight, catchy, upbeat, eminently singable songs with wide appeal in the indie scene and beyond, there's no telling where they'll end up.
But enough with the predictions. Back to the show.

In the middle spot was local band Boys Who Say No. They have a sound that's hard to describe because it kept changing with each song. I didn't dig everything I heard, but there were enough pretty fun party tunes to keep the crowd (including me) happy and dancing. This wasn't the best bill for them---more eclectic openers and closers would suit them better---but they played well and with good energy. And don't they just look like they'd be a fun band?!
The evening got started with The Danks, another Charlottetown band that shares half its members with THT. They got toes tapping and head bobbing, and played a solid, full set. The songs I've heard off their EP "Samples," sounded like pop to me, but the live show was less reminiscent of Two Hours Traffic than those songs lead me to believe. The singer's gravely voice works well with the rockier sound they've got going.

The Acorn, Ohbijou, The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Lee's Palace.

Yes! The Acorn was amazing. I've been listening to their records over the past months, and have really gotten into this band, especially the latest album, "Glory Hope Mountain." I wasn't sure how they would translate on the big stage---would it be just like the record, or better somehow? Answer: Better! Like other quieter kinda folky groups, Ottawa band the Acorn brought things up a few notches last night, rocking out and turning every song into a celebration. Seriously, I'm impressed. What a great experience. The band members looked and sounded like they were having a fantastic time, interacting with the crowd and each other between songs---are these guys dorks or what? haha---and seemed truly thrilled to be playing to a sold-out house. If you don't know this band, get on it! And whenever you have a chance to go see them live, don't think twice. I know I won't. Last night's performance at Lee's Palace was one of the best ones I've seen all year.The set list was heavy Glory Hope Mountain, though a few older songs were performed. Ohbijou joined the band onstage for the first encore song---Low Gravity, amazing---and the two bands came together for the last song of the evening, Ohbijou's Steep.

Ohbijou, in the middle slot, was in happy mood too, but kept things more low key during their set. A showcase for Casey Mecija's songwriting, this Toronto sextet (mostly) performed a great set in front of a crowd of friends, family, and many, many fans. I'm less familiar with the band's music, but what I heard, I liked. Ohbijou's been on tour with the Acorn, and last night they worked well together, setting an instrospective tone that the Acorn built on and turned into a party. The awkward banter was endearing, but I'd like to see Ohbijou party it up more on stage. They're certainly capable of it, as the last song of the evening showed.

Here are some shots, including one of the Acorn's Rolf singing with the band.Well, geez, if I'd only seen these two bands, I'd be happy. But, the openers were the awesome Rural Alberta Advantage. Despite the name, the band formed and plays out of Toronto, but the trio is a musical tribute to the province and its people, past and present. (If this sounds lame, it's because I can't write. Because the band isn't.) Songs like Edmonton and Frank, AB might be place-specific, but these and other RAA tracks speak to universal human themes: childhood memories, stories that shape our understanding of the world we live in, and holding onto the past while moving forward in one's life. The RAA's been getting all kinds of internet love recently, in Toronto, all over North America, and elsewhere. Indie music lovers have been discovering them at a fast rate, and here's to hoping for bigger things for this band soon!

I loved their set, but I felt almost like the lone RAA regular up at the front. That was kinda weird for me. But, this wasn't their show. As usual, and as the record, "Hometowns," showcases, the RAA performs folk-inspired indie pop but with fast-paced drumming that gives the melodies an urgency and excitement. The somewhat strained leading vocals and sweet female backing ones combined with creative percussion by all three band members and use of keyboards work fantastically well. I've written about this band lots of times before, and put them on my "hottest" list.

Photos aren't great, but here's a couple of Nils and Amy. Paul was hidden at the back of the stage.Ah, Lee's Palace, you've done right by me once again. Thanks so much to all the bands for a great show!

Other reviews: The R.O.B., photos by Chromewaves (Frank)