Indie Music 73 (16-22 Mar 2009).

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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.

Canadian Music Fest is over, but as you all know that doesn't mean the music stops. (I think some other people don't realize we have amazing music every night in this city, and for cheap!) Last week I did some hibernating, but still managed to see some quality stuff. The Happiness Project (Charles Spearin's new project) at The Music Gallery was brilliant; nice to see Muskox in that lovely space, too. Saturday I saw a couple new-to-me bands: Eliott Brood (!) and Herman Dune (!), plus Basia Bulat, Jon-Rae Fletcher, and Cuff the Duke, a band I will love always and forever. As you can see, I didn't get out to the festival other than that Saturday Lee's Palace show, but no biggie since I see great bands all the time.

Speaking of great bands, this week's Wombat Wednesday at Tranzac features the aforementioned Muskox, the quiet folk loveliness of The Weather Station, and the mesmerizing The Owle Bird. A great, varied bill. Some touring bands are still in town, picking up gigs the week after Canadian Musicfest; from Ireland, FRED and Walter Mitty & the Realists; Liverpool's Familiar Looking Strangers; and Australia's Forgiven Rival. You've got a couple chances this week to catch Alistair Christl's Swingin' Chandeliers, a fantastic rockabilly act. The Drake Hotel's playing host to good lineups on Wednesday and Thursday. A handful of young bands who've made a name for themselves in the indie scene in the last year are playing at Lee's Palace this Friday (Dinosaur Bones, Oh No Forest Fires, Still Life Still, and Arietta, who've got an album coming out this spring). Local electro-pop dance band Beth in Battle Mode celebrate the release of their second album on Friday at the El Mo. Wavelength promises to be good and very Wavelength: from country to in-sa-ni-ty all on the same bill. Lots more to see and hear . . . check below!

MONDAY (16 mar)

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

Groovy Mondays (open stage) feat. Dave Borins @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8pm-midnight, free. Featured performer plays at 10pm.

Shoeless Mondays feat. Joey Fiasco @ 11:15, December Flood @ 10:15, and Living With Jane @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

Derek Downham & friends (residency) @ The Press Club, 9pm, free.

Elvis Monday feat. Frail Fragment, Pica Pica, Christina Maria, Carmen Elle, Phonebooth Criminals, and The Whole Entire Universe @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, free.

Rattlesnake Choir (residency) @ The Dakota Tavern, 11pm, free.

Panic Density: Creative Music Mondays feat. Alaniaris @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Bryan Arcand (residency) w/ Cody Elliott and Beth Moore @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 9:30pm, pwyc.

Peter Deiwick and Tristan @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9pm, pwyc?

* Walter Mitty & the Realists @ The Hideout.

TUESDAY (17 mar)

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

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

Drummers in Exile (weekly event) @ The Annex WreckRoom, 8pm, pwyc ($2-$5).

St. Patrick's Day w/ DJ Saint Patrick and Sister Whiskey @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 7-10pm, free.

Plushgun (Brooklyn) live @ MTV (The Masonic Temple, 888 Yonge St.), 5:30pm, free. For free tickets, e-mail liveaudienceATmtvDOTca.

The Edge 102.1 Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite feat. Huron @ 11:40, Stone Angels @ 10:50, Tenn Fold @ 10:00, and Scobo @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, free.

St. Patrick's Day Party feat, The Fast Romantics and Catfish Blues @ The Cadillac Lounge, 9pm.

Come Get Lucky! A Queer St. Patrick's Day Celebration feat. Chelsea P. Manders, Jamieson M. Eakin, Rex Baunsit, and Rob Davies, with Yehuda Fisher @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, $5/pwyc.

The Pink & Black Attack presents The Class Assassins @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

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

* I Have Eaten the City, Araz Salek, and Pau Torres @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Luau or Die and The Calrizians @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

Alistair Christl & the Swingin' Chandeliers, TanyaCheex (burlesque), OverPower, and SCRAMJET (debut) @ Rearview Mirror, 8pm, $5.

Members of The Beauties play Pogues' tunes and Irish drinking songs @ The Dakota Tavern, 11pm (start), $5. Earlier (7pm), there will be a live mariachi band.

Ultra Violence, Sin Dealer, Walter Mitty & the Realists (Ireland), and Familiar Looking Strangers (Liverpool) @ Rok Boutique, 8pm, $6 (or free before 9pm).

Jane's Party w/ tba @ C'est What, 9pm, $7.

What's He Building In There, The Isosceles Project, and Man With Target @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $7.

TWM presents The United Steel Workers of Montreal, Spookey Ruben, and Ryan Shearing @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $8.

Holger Schoorl w/ Ken Aldcroft and w/ Pete Johnston & Scott Thomson @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $8.

Deadwalk, A Distance From, Breaking The Fourth Wall, To Cherish, Caldwell, Beyond The Shadows, The Advocate, and Northland @ Kathedral, 6pm, $10. All ages.

The Johnstones, Street Pharmacy, and The Latency @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 8pm, $10.

WEDNESDAY (18 mar)

The Red Eyed Boys (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 6-8pm, pwyc.

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

Wednesdays Go Pop! feat. Hue, Hello Charlie, and Robyn Dell'Unto @ Supermarket, 8:30pm, pwyc.

The Annex WreckRoom & IndieCan Radio present IndieCan Wednesdays feat. Roar & the Wolf, Modes of Transport, and Amber Ladd @ The Annex WreckRoom, 9pm, free.

Rock 'n Roll Pornography w/ DJ Billy Geek and Forgiven Rival (live) @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, free.

PWYC Weds feat. Glory Glory Man United, Born to Busk, and The Shallow Alps @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, pwyc.

High Lonesome Wednesdays w/ Crazy Strings (bluegrass music), 9:30pm, free.

Big Tobacco & the Pickers @ The Cadillac Lounge, 10pm, pwyc.

The Kate Rogers Band and Andy Stedman @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

The Warped 45s (residency) @ The Cameron House (Front Room), 10pm, pwyc.

* GUH @ Grafitti's Bay & Grill, 9-11pm, pwyc.

Decade Of Sleep @ 11:40, Alert The Medic @ 10:50, Tol World @ 10:00, and The Bridge @ 9:10. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $4.

* Bellewoods, A Young Wife, and Julie Fader @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

Brian Parker @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm, pwyc.

Tim Gibbons @ The Dakota Tavern, 9pm, $5.?

* Wombat Wednesdays feat. Muskox, The Weather Station, and The Owle Bird @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8-11pm, $6. How wonderful!

Fundraiser show for Horizon for Youth feat. Extinct or Alive, Yell the Burden, Heart of a Shark, and more @ Smiling Buddha, 9pm, $10.

* Brent Randall & his Pinecones and Colleen & Paul @ The Cameron House (Back Room), 9pm, $6.

Benito Band, The Runaway Catholics, and tba @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

Dreamers Rok, After Runnymede, and 9 Years @ Clinton's Tavern, 8pm, $5.

Hotboxxx presents Above it All @ 11:00, Little Sunday @ 10:10, Bluespoon @ 9:20, and Dream Aria @ 8:30. Lee's Palace, 8pm, $5.

Ambisonic (debut), Electroluminescent, and John Moore @ Rok Boutique, 8pm.

David Ward and David Hein @ C'est What, 9pm, $6.

Heart of a Shark, Yell The Burden, The Muso Project, and more @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $8.

Rob Clutton: The Cluttertones @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $8.

* FRED, Walter Mitty & the Realists, and Jay Sparrow (acoustic) @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9pm, $10.

Travis Porter & WEGOTTHEMOVEMENT.COM presents Callahan, Gone Hollywood, Raid For Blood Diamonds, Anneliese, Your Last Sunrise, and Forever Circa @ Kathedral, 7pm, $10. All ages.

Stuck In the City presents Fireworks (CD release) w/ This Time Next Year, Brothers, and Attention @ Siesta Nouveaux, 7pm, $10.

THURSDAY (19 mar)

Bluegrass & Old Time Thursday w/ Dave Lang @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7pm, pwyc.

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

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

* GoldenGirls (album release) w/ DJ Asher, TMDP, 84.85, DJ Barletta, and St Mandrew @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 9pm, free.

Joshua Cockerill w/ Ghostwalk Creek @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 9pm, pwyc.

Modern Jazz Thursdays feat. Free Boat Rentals and Cut by a Triangle @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

Shelby Lamb, The Soles, and The Dust Bunnies @ Mitzi's Sister, 10pm, pwyc.

* Andy Swan, Jennifer Foster, and Dean Drouillard @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

The Strip and The Ory No'man Too @ C'est What, 9:30pm, $5.

Poisonous Glass and Samantha Martin & the Haggard @ Clinton's Tavern, 9pm, $5.

The Flying Museum Band and The Big City Nights Band @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5. Cover includes copies of both band's new albums.

Darkside presents Night of Terror (bands + movie in the back) feat. Children of Eve and Dancing With Paris, w/ DJ Gorry Lori @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

To Downcast Your Eyes and Matthew Ness @ The Boat, 9pm, $5.

Rival Boys (CD release), Buckets Of, Bold Saber, and Jasmyn Burke @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, $5.

TWM presents The Beautiful Taste, Thrillharmonic, and Needlefoot @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5.

Blank Tape Levy (CD release) @ 11:15, Shoot The Cameraman @ 10:15, and tba @ 9:15. The Horseshoe Tavern, 8:30pm, $5.

Drunken Moon Sisters and The Dancefloor Refraction @ Rearview Mirror, 9pm, $6.

Randy Rhoads Tribute feat. Blizzard of Oz @ Rok Boutique, 9pm, $6.

Easy Tiger presents Wildlife and Christianne Kearns (CD release) @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $6.

* Honky Night In Canada II feat. Sunbear, The Hangovers, and members of Proof of Ghosts, Easy Targets, Lunchmeat, and The Job @ The Silver Dollar Room, 9pm, $6. Also performing Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" in its entirety.

Cut It Out, Whiskey Trench, and UnFun (ex-Reprobates) @ Annies On Queen, 8pm, $7.

John Moore w/ The Paul Price Band @ Supermarket, 9pm, $7.

Rob Clutton: The Cluttertones @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $8.

Ronley Teper's Lipliners (CD release) @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8pm, $10.

Sweetfire @ 11:30, Reverse Mount Rushmore @ 10:40, Ocean Buried @ 9:50, and Cut Throat Kids @ 9:00. Lee's Palace, 8:30pm, $10.

FRIDAY (20 mar)

David Woodhead's Confabulations (residency) @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 7:30pm, pwyc.

Ancient Chinese Secret (in-store) @ Superfuzz Audio / Electric Standard (1261 Dundas St. W.), 8pm, free. "There will be snacks, refreshments and twinkle lights, 8pm 'till 11pm-ish."

* Alistair Christl & the Swingin' Chandeliers @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 8-10pm, free.

Pop Noir (DJ night) w/ Les Gars (live set) @ The Boat, 10pm, $5.

* Donlands & Mortimer and Heartbeat Hotel @ The Drake Hotel (Underground), 8pm, $5.

* Catl and Bradley Boy (2 sets each) @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5. Catl will be playing an acoustic set on No Beat Radio (CIUT, 89.5fm) on Monday at 10pm.

* Beth In Battle Mode presents Hot Science Fair (CD release for BIBM's "Hot Science") w/ The Craft Economy and Tetris Hold 'Em @ El Mocambo (First Floor), 10pm, $5.

Prosad (trance sitar dance party) @ Concord Cafe, 8pm.

BM'O' Crazy, Boxes & Bags, Hush Money, and Sounds Like B.S. @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $5. Energetic night!

Adam's God (CD release) @ Neutral Lounge, 9:30pm, $5.

Iron Giant, Dutch Oven, and Bastard Child Death Cult, w/ DJ Vania @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

Pop with Brains 20 feat. Machetes, Alright Alright, The State of Things, Ender Bros., and Clouds (that look like things) @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $5. Plus art and comedy, all in support of the CAMH.

The Vive Quebec Libres, Bombs, and Earsz @ Rearview Mirror, 9pm, $5.

The Framework @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, 9:30pm, $5?

Famous Framus, King Kong Mitch Girio, Dave Gould, and Conrad Sichler a.k.a. The Riot Nrrd @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm.

Toronto DIY Comp Release Vol 2 feat. Rocket Reducers, Glorious Disorder, and Rackshot @ Annies on Queen, 9pm, $7.

Leftover Daylight Series presents Lewis / Segger, Farah / Fisher / Gaucher, and Public Saxophone @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $8.

The Groove Suit and The Bad Guys @ Clinton's, 9pm, $8 (or $5 w/ student ID).

Turn Off The Stars @ 12:30, BigIdeas (CD release) @ 11:30, Parker @ 10:30, and Public @ 9:30. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $10.

* Snailhouse w/ Culture Reject @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8pm, $10.

* Dinosaur Bones @ 12:30, Oh No Forest Fires @ 11:30, Still Life Still @ 10:30, and Arietta @ 9:30 @ Lee's Palace, 9pm, $7. Good local bands that have been increasing their following over the past year... let's see how they take to Lee's!

Refunkulous feat. The Good Rats, King Solomon, Walk Off the Earth, Killer Green, The People of Canada, Suspect, Broken Bricks, The Blunt Truth, and Stoners Lounge @ El Mocambo (Upstairs), 6:30pm, $10. All ages.

SATURDAY (21 mar)

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

Sin City Boys (residency) @ Graffiti's Bar & Grill, 4pm, pwyc.

Bill Colgate & the Urbane Guerillas (residency) @ The Dominion on Queen, 4-7pm, pwyc.

Country Saturday feat. Joanne Mackell & the Paradise Rangers @ The Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar), 6-9pm, free.

Portico @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 6:30pm, pwyc.

Howie & Shai w/ Alex Woodrow @ Free Times Cafe, 8pm.

Modern Jazz Saturdays feat. The Griffith Hiltz Trio @ Tequila Bookworm, 9pm, pwyc.

* JJ Ipsen and Andrew Vincent @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 10pm, pwyc.

Little Foot Long Foot Website Launch Party feat. My Shaky Jane, Little Foot Long Foot, and The Bible All-Stars @ The Cadillac Lounge, 9pm, $5.

Brighter Brightest and Del Asher, w/ DJ AL911 @ The Bovine Sex Club, 9pm, $5.

The Fleece Elves and The Histrionics @ Bread & Circus, 10:30pm, $5. Might check this out.

The Thundermonks, The Phonebooth Criminals, Dangerband, and The Elks @ Concord Cafe, 8pm, $5.

Jacques & the Shaky Boys @ The Dakota Tavern, 10pm, $5?

Intended Creation, Alison Jane, and Persist @ Smiling Buddha Bar, 9pm, $5.

* Late Night Live feat. The Monitors, Chang-A-Lang, and The Primordials @ The Silver Dollar, 10:30pm, $5.

Sergei & the Soviets, The Jamie G Circus @ Rearview Mirror, 8pm.

Marianne Turner w/ Eve & the Ocean and Aaron Lycett @ C'est What, 9:30pm, $6.

Base War 15 feat. AR, Brock Paper Scissors, Grindhouse, Errol vs DVSN, and Tomi Le Filth @ Z (822 Dundas St. W), 10pm, $7 (or $5 for groups of 3 or more). Dance party.

Left of Zero @ Mod Club Theatre, 11pm (show time), $10 (or free if you're on the guestlist: e-mail leftofzeroATgmailDOTcom).

Stuck In the City presents Coliseum, Black Birds, Slaughterstrike, and Mature Situations @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $10.

CoexisDance (improv music and dance) @ Somewhere There, 8-10pm, $8.

Red Records presents Bobby Dreadfull w/ Progress Negus and poems by Neil Asgarali @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $10.

* TMW presents Rock Plaza Central @ 12:00, Key Witness (CD release) @ 11:00, and Bahamas @ 10:00. The Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm, $10 (adv, $12 at the door).

SUNDAY (22 mar)

Wintage Records & Tapes presents D/AA/D, Grifer, Le Rêve mORTEL, Almost Blue Sunshine, and Bonsai Forestry @ The Rearview Mirror, 2pm, $6.

Songwriters Expo hosted by Monique Barry, also feat. Shawna Caspi, Carly & Mark, and Blue Blue Satellite @ The Cadillac Lounge, 4-7pm, pwyc. "There is never a cover for this event, instead we have a PWYC policy. Any amount given results in the automatic entry into the showtime raffle. One lucky winner takes home CDs of all or most of the shows performers."

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.

Laura Hubert @ Mitzi's Sister, 5-7pm, pwyc.

The Loneliest Monk @ Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), 5pm, pwyc.

* Wavelength 455 feat. Pony Show (members of Oh No Forest Fires and Holy Fuck), Steve McKay, and Richard Laviolette, w/ DJ U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D, and visuals by General Chaos @ Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, pwyc ($5-10).

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

Luke Nicholson (residency) @ Reservoir Lounge, 9pm, $5.

* Vinyl Tap & TWM present The Leathers, Fire Flower Revue, Eyecon, Anna Sudac @ Rancho Relaxo, 9pm, $6.

Jeremy Strachan w/ Jack Vorvis, and w/ Julia Hambleton & Fiona Ryan @ Somewhere There, 6-8pm, $8.