Indie Music 54 (29 sep-5 oct 2008).

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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.

This week I'm heading up and over to POP Montreal to take in lots of great bands. Although many Toronto bands will be performing in la belle province, there's still a lot of fun shows to go see, and a smattering of free in-store performances.

This past weekend I had a blast at the TrekZac FestiCon, and over the past week I've seen a small handful of different acts, most of them new-to-me. Always lots of exciting new music to discover! I especially enjoyed Tune-Yards (Meryl from Sister Suvi w/ Nico Dann on a couple songs), the FemBots, and Great Lenin's Ghost.

MONDAY (29 sep)

Stephen Hedley w/ Noella @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

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

Shoeless Monday feat. Queen Takes Bishop @ 11:15, Jace P & The Big People @ 10:15, and Ian Spotting @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Elvis Monday feat. Machetes, Purr, Adam Faux, The Royal So & Sos, Dickie Haydon, and The People of Canada @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, free.

Groovy Mondays feat. Reid Pickering @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

TUESDAY (30 sep)

Julian Fauth and Jake Chisholm @ Graffiti's, 4-7pm, pwyc.

Homegrown Tuesdays feat. Bunmi and others @ The Silver Dollar, 7pm, $5.

Patrick Boyle @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Toronto Folk Singers Society @ Tranzac (Tiki Room), 8pm, pwyc.

Peirson Ross and Ladies of the Canyon @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm.

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. Bill Murray @ 11:40, Waking Eyes @ 10:50, Jason Ford Band @ 10:00, and Shane Philip @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Revival Dear @ The Cadillac Lounge, 9pm, free.

* Drumheller @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

CaMp CoMbO @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

The Pink & Black Attack presents The Blackouts and Drive-in Massacre @ The Bovine, 9pm, free.

Dan Kosub, Shawna Caspi, and Graeme & Ferguson @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

Local Alt Rock feat. Android Meme @ 10:45, Inertias Course @ 9:45, and Andreja @ 8:45. Lee's Palace, 8pm, $5.

* No Shame presents POP Montreal preview feat. The Rural Alberta Advantage, Hooded Fang, and Mt. Royal @ Silver Dollar, 9pm, $7.

Pilgrims of Brock, Nancy Silverman, and Kritty @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Songwriter Sessions feat. Kat Burns (Forest City Lovers), Daniel Roth, and Luke Nares @ Concord Cafe, 8:30pm, $5/pwyc.

The Wilderness and La Casa Muerte @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

John Oswald & Germaine Lui @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6.

Lila Rose (CD release), Miss Scarlett, Laura Aidenblaise, Stacey B, DJ Lover Sun, and dance by MataDanZe Collective @ The Supermarket, 9 pm, $7.

WEDNESDAY (1 oct)

Felicity Williams @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

The Annex WreckRoom & IndieCan Radio present IndieCan Wednesdays feat. Johnny Exxtasy, The Waxbills, and Cathartik @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, free.

PWYC Weds feat. Arctic, Astrophysics For Fun, and Brodie Dakin & the Mercucials @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc.

The Cappelletto-Mceleny Quinte, Robb Mirsky, and mmucci @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Shawn Clarke and Kensington Prairies @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, pwyc.

The Shovels @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm.

* Hot Panda and Wax Mannequin @ Czehoski, 9:30pm, free.

Wombat Wednesdays presents Pavlov's Dogs Orchestra, Generic Rock, and Your Good Friends @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 9pm, $5. This month's Wednesday shows at the Main Hall at curated by Kat Burns (from Forest City Lovers).

Local Alternative Rock Live Recording feat. Two Foot Hills @ 11:30, Living Room @ 10:15, and Yuka @9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $5.

Victor Bateman & Martin Arnold . . . then quiet @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $6. (The second set is 30 minutes of silence.)

Dopplehertz presents Teki Latex @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 10pm, $10.

THURSDAY (2 oct)

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

Brent Tanemura Says So @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Local Alternative Rock feat. Jackfish River @ 11:40, Broken Sons @ 10:50, King Clancy @ 10:00, and Harm @ 9:10. @ The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $4.

Steers & Queers feat. Gay Olde Opry @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5.

Aaron Garner, J. D. Edwards, and Patrick Ballantyne @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, $5.

* The Ghost is Dancing and Purple Hill (members of From Fiction), w/ DJ VLSonN @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, $5.

TWM presents Champion Heartache, Sitcom, and This is Picture @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5. This is Picture is pretty cool.

Devin & the Dark Light and Seymour @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

Ko Kapches w/ Dylan Murray @ Supermarket, 9pm, $5.

Fire Flower Revue, Idle Tigers, Rep By Pop, and Bright Young Things @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Isle of Thieves and Melody Unwinding @ The Bovine, 9pm, $5.

* No Shame presents Mandibles, Muskox, and Gabe Levine @ Tiger Bar, 9pm, $5.

Lunchmeat, Slow/Dynamite, and Dead Sexy Sheila @ The Silver Dollar, 9pm, $5.

Raise Your Voice feat. DJ M-Dash, MMFFN, and Babylon Telecom @ Augusta House, 10pm, $5. "A Benefit for Media Democracy Day 2008."

elZOO's theFIRSTthursday feat. The Shenanigans, Proposterous, Charles Tilden, and Chris Miller @ El Mocambo (Upstairs), 9pm, $5 w/ canned food donation. Plus art.

Fidget, The Infamous Bajcar and the Grim Preachers, and Riverside @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $7.

Burn Down The Capital presents Psychedelic Horseshit, U.S. Girls, Golden Error, 10,000 Watt Head, and Cave Dudes @ Teranga, 9pm, $8. All ages.

Janine Stoll, Miss Emily Brown, James Lamb, and Paul MacDougall @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 10pm, $8.

Aussie Takeover Round 1 feat. The Holyfields, Gigantic, and Galore @ The Rivoli, 8:30pm, $10.

Fundraiser event feat. Matty D, Al & the Ski, Emilio Fuentes, Tamsynn-Lee, Omar Saad (Alright Alright), Jeff Giles, Najuah, and more @ Clinton's, 7:30pm, $10. There will also be art for sale and comedy.

Herman Dune and Throw Me The Statue @ El Mocambo (First Floor), $10.

The Painted Birds and Public w/ Joshua Bartholomew and Zack Borer (acoustic) @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $10. Adv tix avail.

FRIDAY (3 oct)

Gurpreet Singh Chana @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

Bryce Clifford, Chris Staig & the Marquee Players, and Paisley Jura @ Mitzi's Sister, 9pm, pwyc.

New Black and others @ Bread and Circus, 9pm, pwyc.

The Ryan Driver Quartet @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

ArchaeA, You Handsome Devil, The Toads, and The Silver Screens @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Songwriters Unite! monthly showcase feat. Eddy Plant, Keith McDonald, Mary Milne, Robert Davis, Michael-Angelo, Stephanie Martin, Lenore, and hosted by Russell Leon w/ Markus Walker @ Graffiti's, 9pm, pwyc.

Crabtree & Mills @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, $5/pwyc.

Samantha Martin & the Haggard and Christian D & the Hangovers @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5.

Jacflash presents SLAVE to the SQUAREwave, Zack Borer, and Melissa Bathory @ Clinton's, $5.

SoundCheck Show: Memory Lane feat. DJ Fingrprintz and DJ Grouch, w/ hosts Public, Contagious, and Lord Quest @ Augusta House, 9pm, $5. "Celebrating The End Of An Era In Toronto Hip Hop!"

Clouds That Look Like Things, The Paint Movement, Matt Bahen (solo; The Schomberg Fair), and The People of Canada @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $7. Plus Jenny Charlton's first art show (photos/digital artwork for sale).

Vilipend, The Womb, and Akroid @ Holy Joe's, 9 pm, $7

Benefit for Regent Park Music School feat. Mongrels, The Mercy Now, El Mosquito, Drunkula @ Silver Dollar, 9pm, $8.

AWSUM INK presents October Sky, Six Feet Deep, Sekora, and Stone Angel @ The Reverb, 8:15pm, $8.

Rob Szabo and Revival Dear @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 8pm, $10.

Aussie Takeover Round 1 feat. The Wellingtons, Bluespoon, The Holyfields, and Atomic Tom @ The Rivoli, 8:30pm, $10.

Split 7" Release Party feat. The Creeping Nobodies, These Are Powers, and DD/MM/YYYY @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $10. Adv tix avail for $8.

SATURDAY (4 oct)

The Hot Five Jazzmakers @ C'est What, 2pm, $5.

* Johnny Flynn (in-store) @ Criminal Records, 5pm, free.

* Chad VanGaalen (in-store) @ Sonic Boom, 6pm, free.

Country Saturdays feat. Laura Repo and The Foggy Mountain Hogtown Boys @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

* These Electric Lives, OPOPO, and Nights @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, free.

Dan Kosub, JP Sunga, and more @ The Renaissance Cafe, 8pm, pwyc.

The Russell Leon Band, Neil Cotton, and Arthur Renwick @ Mitzi's Sister, 9pm, $5.

The Wilderness and Insurgentlemen @ Bread and Circus, 9pm, $5.

The Ugly Bug Band @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7pm, pwyc.

JM McNab, Will the Circle, and Shelby Lamb @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Crabtree & Mills @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, $5/pwyc.

Girls!Girls!Girls! hosted by Melanie Peterson feat. Hayley Stark and more @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 9pm, pwyc.

The Clearing and Saigon Brothel @ The Bovine, 9pm, $5.

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

KlezFactor (CD release) w/ The River Pilots @ Concord Cafe, 9pm (start time), $?.

The Antiqs and tba @ The Mansion (157 St. George St.), 9pm, $5.

The Atomic Ravens, Fire Hydrant, Douglas Adams, and Reuben & Krazy Rob @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9pm, $5.

Ordain and Grave Over Diamonds @ The Annex WreckRoom, 7:30pm (early show), $6.

Ashley, followed by Kensington Station (dance party) @ Neutral, 10pm, $6.

Semi Precious Weapons and The Vestaloynes @ Velvet Underground, 8pm, $8.

A Fourth World, Deathstyle, and Ophelia Syndrome @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $8.

Burn Down The Capital presents An Albatross, The Chinese Stars, (((Microwaves))), and Thrashed Jeans @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $10. Adv tix avail.

SUNDAY (5 oct)

* Women (in-store) @ Soundscapes, 1pm, free.

The Evaporators, The Wierdies, and 3tards @ Trash Palace, 4pm, $4.

Phillipe Flahaut Blues Trio @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

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

The Rent plays the music of Steve Lacy @ Somewhere There, 6-8pm, $6.

Mardi Jayde and Tom St. Louis @ Free Times Cafe, 8:30pm, $5/pwyc.

* Wavelength 433 feat. Donlands & Mortimer, Alphabot, and Bryce Clifford @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc.

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

Dark Tokes presents Crystal Fingers Play the Hired Hand Part II (AKA Matt 'Doc' Dunn & Ayal Senior) w/ Eric Chenaux, Shahin Etemadzadeh, SP!R!TSUP, Dead Dreams, and SkullBong @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $5.

Michael Reinhart w/ Sue Smith @ The Gladstone Hotel (Art Bar), 7-10pm, $8.

Gutter Demons, The Von Drats, and Rehab for Quitters @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 9pm, $10.

Paula Shear (CD release) @ The Gladstone Hotel (Ballroom), 7:30pm, $10.