Indie Music 39.

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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.

Last Wednesday I saw The Human Statues and Woodward Company at the Boat. Two very different bands who put on good shows. WWCO was especially interesting. On Thursday I went out to Wrongbar for Boxes & Bags (!!) and Foxfire, and what a fun night that was. Seriously entertaining. On Saturday I danced a bit to the Dress Whites (solid, catchy indie pop-rock) and The Darcys, whom I rather liked though there were some rough spots (for me). It was so hot at Rancho---and the Boat during Goin' Steady---that night. Ouff.

This week(end) the city will be taken over by NxNE. I'm not even going to try to list what's happening, except the associated in-store performances. I hear it's a great festival. See the website (with awkward band schedule) for full information: http://www.nxne.com/. Wristbands are $30 or so. Luminato continues this week. And there's also the Better Reasons Fest at the Tranzac, a pwyc fundraiser series featuring some great local acts. Those shows are listed below. There's a bunch of other stuff to do, so that it's not actually that hard to skip out on NxNE entirely if you so choose.

On this week's podcast, available at http://www.zygiella.com/historyjen and on iTunes as well, we featured songs by Hamilton Trading Co., Jadea Kelly, The Magic, The Pack A.D., Timber Timbre, and Hooded Fang. Take a listen if you're so inclined. We promise more oompff next week . . . it was just too damn hot today.

MONDAY (9 jun)

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

Elvis Mondays presents PURRR, zhowndz, Ola Rocks, The Best, Steve Singh, and The People of Canada @ The Drake Underground, 9pm, free.

Shoeless Monday feat. Left For Zero @ 11:15, Chris Miller @ 10:15, and Little Foot Long Foot @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Groovy Mondays feat. Mary Kastle and Christa Couture @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

* Marsupial Mondays presents Hamilton Trading Co. and Anna Linda Siddall @ Tranzac (Tiki Room), 8pm, $5.

Michael-Angelo, Alex Woodrow, Samantha Martin, and Alysha Brillinger @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, pwyc.

TUESDAY (10 jun)

Reiner Schwarz ("public practice") w/ Steve Whitehouse & Paul Teglas @ The Gladstone Art Bar, 8pm, pwyc.

Red Dons, The Estranged, and World War I @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $8.

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. We Are Balboa @ 11:40, Ravens & Chimes @ 10:50, Deep Dark Woods @ 10:00, and David Martel @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free. Could be very good.

Great Aunt Ida, Jane Gowan, Mary Harmer, and Cam Giroux @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Howard Gladstone, Tony Quarrington, Sue & Dwight (w/ Shelley Coopersmith) @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

* Angel Pier, Still Life Still, Key Witness, and Carnival Moon @ The Boat, 8pm, pwyc. Help Elaine from KW and CM celebrate her birthday!

Jadea Kelly (CD release) @ The Dakota Tavern, 9:30pm, $6. Sweet country-folk-pop at a great little venue.

WEDNESDAY (11 jun)

James Murdoch @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

PWYC Weds feat. The DGB, Zel'a Hype, and The Cheap Speakers @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc. The CP, at the moment an all-male foursome, promise a set of good indie rock.

Andy Swan, David Como (Sing Leaf), and Rebel Flowers @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Pitter Patter Nights presents Aleks & the Ramps (from Australia) w/ Gravity Wave, Quantum Physique, and Vesper Hours @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

Burnitdowns, Single File to Freedom, and Larry & His Flask @ Blue Moon, 9pm, $5.

Alexandra Ribera @ Clinton's, 8pm, $10.

Team Mixed Berries ... JAM! Presents Jammin' for the Cure feat. The General Staff w/ The Dave Ward Band and Ben Sings Songs @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5. Proceeds to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Christina Martin, Shobha, and Matt Charlton @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm.

Tambourine Magazine presents TIMA Showcase feat. Janine Farragher, Russell Leon Band, Sadie May Crash, Spies, Earthtone, and Lori Nuic @ The Annex Wreck Room, 7:30pm, $7. (I don't know the order of performances.)

Centromatic @ 10:30 and The M's @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $9 (adv, $10 door).

THURSDAY (12 jun)

The Vibrants (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 1pm, free.

The Vicious Guns (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 2pm, free.

keepin6 (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 3pm, free.

Sabrina Korva (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 4pm, free.

STAND (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 5pm, free.

David Martel (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 6pm, free.

The John Henrys (in-store) @ Criminal Records, 6pm, free.

Two Hours Traffic (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 7pm, free.

* The Two Koreas (EP release) w/ DJs Jamal and Ian @ The Beaver, 11pm, free. The band plays at midnight. You can pick up a copy of the vinyl for $10.

Chris Cawthray Trio @ The Gladstone Melody Bar, 7pm, free.

Terror Lake, Buckets Of, and Dwarf Star @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

* Out of this Spark presents The Better Reasons Fest feat. Forest City Lovers, The Magic, and Evening Hymns @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8pm, pwyc. Proceeds from the festival will go to "Sketch, a Toronto based organization which creates art making opportunities for young people who live street-involved and homeless or who are considered to be at risk." See http://www.sketch.ca.

The River Pilots w/ Michael Holt @ The Central, 8pm, $6.

The Sherbourne Canons (debut) and Man In White @ Smiling Buddha, 8pm.

Macro Fiesta @ The Unicorn, 9pm.

Homostupids, U.T.I., So Cow, and Never Trust @ The Batcave (393 Margueretta), 7pm, $8. BYOB, but no glass bottles.

FRIDAY (13 jun)

David Martel (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 1pm, free.

Miss Derringer (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 2pm, free.

Triple Cobra (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 3pm, free.

Trigger Effect (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 4pm, free.

This Is Radio Freedom (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 5pm, free.

Fernando Saunders (in-store) @ Sunrise Records, 6pm, free.

Calm Down It's Monday, Old Man Luedecke, Shotgun Jimmie feat. Attack in Black, The Superfantastics, and Mardeen (in-store) @ Criminal Records, 5pm, free.

Hot Springs (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 6:30pm, free.

The Two Koreas (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 7pm, free.

David French, Jordan O'Connor, Nick Fraser, and guests @ The Rex, 6:30pm, pwyc.

The Skeets and Clay Pigeons @ The Gladstone Melody Bar, 7pm, free.

Michelle Hell, John Zytaruk, Collette Savard @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

The Foolish Things @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, free.

Nite Market @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Fuzzy Logic Recordings presents The Better Reasons Fest feat. Lily Frost, Prarie Cat (backed by the Bicycles), Scraps from Boil Street, Laura Barrett, and Peter Project @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8pm, pwyc. Proceeds from the festival will go to "Sketch, a Toronto based organization which creates art making opportunities for young people who live street-involved and homeless or who are considered to be at risk." See http://www.sketch.ca.

Air Vibrations (interactive DJ night) @ The Gladstone Art Bar, 9pm, free.

Saint Dirt Elementary School @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Slow News Day, Daysleeper, Remote Wonder, and Sylvene @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $6.

SATURDAY (14 jun)

The Nymphets, So Cow, and The Weirdies @ Trash Palace, 2pm (early show).

Monotonix (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 3pm, free.

Mannequin Men (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 4pm, free.

Starvin Hungry (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 5pm, free.

Julie Doiron (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 6pm, free.

The Pack A.D. (in-store) @ Criminal Records, 6pm, free.

* Blocks Blocks Blocks Recording Club presents The Better Reasons Fest feat. Kids on TV, Nif-D, The Phonemes, Tradition, and Matias Rozenberg @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 5pm, pwyc. Proceeds from the festival will go to "Sketch, a Toronto based organization which creates art making opportunities for young people who live street-involved and homeless or who are considered to be at risk." See http://www.sketch.ca. There's also a BBQ starting at 5pm.

Avesta Makhaei @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 6pm, pwyc.

Timber Timbre, Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum, Whatever Jailer, and Hills of Head Waters @ The Oxford Hotel (backyard), 8pm, pwyc.

The Weather Station, Dark Bird, and Antler @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Kasper, Deadbeat Dads, and Diamond Teeth @ Mitzi's Sister, 9:30pm, pwyc.

Owen Steel and The Wayside Ramblers @ The Local, 9pm.

Wintage Records & Tapes presents Slither, Fossils, Roman Pilates, and tba @ Pete's Place (193 Dowling Ave., enter at back), 9:30pm, $6.

A Concert For Sally ( boston terrier rescue ) feat. Julia Set Generator, The Matavaras, and Scobo @ Smiling Buddha, $7.

SUNDAY (15 jun)

Sisters of Sheynville @ The Rex, noon.

Sunday Brunch feat. Clela Errington w/ Jocelyn Barth and Luke Roberts @ Gate 403, noon-3pm, pwyc.

Ivy Mairi, Anne Bourne, and Tornstartssbandht @ St. Andrew by-the-Lake, 4pm, pwyc.

The Backstabbers String Band @ The Gladstone Melody Bar, 5pm, free.

The Travelling Band @ The Gladstone Melody Bar, 8pm, free.

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

* Michael Holt presents I Love Music! feat. African (and Andean) music w/ Waleed Abdulhamid, Tyler Kerr, and The All-White-Afrobeat-Enthusiasts (Todd Porter, David French, Neil Whitford, Chris Banks, Reade Ollivier, and Michael Holt) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

Gather Round feat. Owen Steel w/ Hamilton Trading Co. and David O'Connor @ The Boat, 9pm, pwyc.

* Wavelength 417 feat. $100, Hooded Fang, and Fraser Gielen @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc.

Les Singes Bleus w/ Katie Murphy @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Anhai and Doug Tielli @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10:30pm, pwyc.

Aaron Allen, The Small City Saints, Andy Swan, and Lunch Meat @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm.

* NxNE After Party feat. Dinosaur Bones, Grand Analog, The Superfantastics, and Hollerado @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5. (Or free with a festival pass.)