Shout out / Review: Woodhands' Remorsecapade.

I've said it a few times already on this blog: Woodhands is my favourite live band. They are intense, unpretentious, in-your-face, and impossible not to dance to. And they've got a new record out.

To celebrate the release and help get the word out, the band hosted a secret, invite-only show Thursday night at the not-spacious Smiling Buddha bar. Slightly north and west of the usual hotspots, and often playing host to bands even I've never heard of, I admit to not having ventured there before. I got there early, and spent a quick hour and a quarter talking with an assortment of local press-types and friends of the band. At around 10:30pm, a smoke machine and two green lasers having created somewhat of a proper vibe, and with photographers assembled at the front, the band started to play. And then quickly stopped. Aw, Woodhands. The technical issues were almost instantly sorted out, and the show really got started. The band performed a few of the songs off Remorsecapade, brought Maylee Todd on to contribute her part to "Dissembler" and "Dancer" from 2008's Heart Attack, then seamlessly transitioned into "Coolchanize," the standout track from the new album. The performance wasn't quite the display of musical wizardry I've seen from this band, but that's hardly the point. Experiencing these songs---also "CP24," "Talk," and "I Should Have Gone With My Friends"---performed live makes me excited for everyone who'll get a chance to see this band on their upcoming tour. And, as a friend of mine told drummer Paul Banwatt after the set, it was just fun to see them play in a small venue just like the old days.

Back in late 2007 and into 2008, that same friend and I went to see Woodhands every time they played. We were both going through stuff---I was in search of a new social life, and he was trying to rescue a failing relationship. I eventually found my weekend salvation in the indie scene; him, in the electro-dance world. But as we drifted apart socially, we always met at Woodhands shows. The music was loud, fast, hard-hitting, with a clear beat and unstoppable energy. And still interesting. Dan Werb's pained screams and emotional turmoil, Paul's firy, surprising drumming, their choice to risk technical failure by putting all their synth lines together live . . . it all made Woodhands' music compellingly immediate. Here was something I'd rarely heard: intense electro-pop with brains and emotional baggage. When the band went on their first US tour in April 2008, my friend and I drove to his hometown of Pittsburgh to see them play. Woodhands was on first, unbilled on a four-band night, opening for Ra Ra Riot, who were still driving to the venue when our band went on. In front of a handful of local kids, my friend and I danced fearlessly, with abandon and conviction. It felt like the culmination of our respective transformations, establishing the success and rightness of the paths we'd taken over the past few months. Woodhands is an important part of my history and continues to have a place in my present.

Remorsecapade, out this past week, is the band's second full-length album. Like the first, it offers up eminently danceable tracks and much artistic interest. Electro isn't usually this smart and fully danceable. The best track, "Coolchazine," grabbed my attention right away. Some of the others took a few listens, but by now I'm quite taken with the record. (I'm listening to it on repeat as I write this, and keep find myself grooving in my chair. And I don't care if anyone's watching.)

The first track, "Pockets," sets the tone, and assures the listener that all the ingredients that made Heart Attack great are still present. Slow builds and quiet moments compete with pounding beats and aborted symbol crashes. The song's both groovy and meaningful. It's a love song, after all. "Talk," next up, is about a girl, too. It has dance hit written all over it, but the angst-ridden, yearning kind, not the bubble-gum version. "CP24" you've all heard (and seen). Here the angst gets aggressive and embittered. "Sluts"---which I just noticed begins with a technical glitch and Dan swearing "fuck this machine"---has a more dance club vibe. The girl problems continue, but there's a resolution. What begins aggressively ends with a much more healthy attitude. Awesome. And then comes "Coolchanize." As Dan himself might say, "Oh shit!" Screams! Grunts! This song takes me through the ringer. Dan---or the man he's singing about---has been done wrong. "Why are you fucking with my focus? Why do you have to be the closest thing to me?" and etc. The man can't get a break, though, deciding next that "I Should Have Gone With My Friends" instead of following his date around. This is another great dance track. After all this "Dissembler" comes as a welcome reprieve. Maylee Todd, whose smooth vocal performance on "Dancer" added so much to the first record, is back, performing a duet on this one with Dan. Much airier, this pop love song is really lovely. Everyone now feeling better about things, it's time to dance (and scream) again. "When the Party is Over," featuring fat synth beats, under-emphasized drumming, and great singing, is another solid Woodhands song. The final track ("I Want To Be Together," followed by the outro "How To Survive A Remorsecapade"), is radically different in sound. It's slower, contemplative, sad---"I want to be together" is the repeated refrain---but also a smart way to end a record that's full of anger and heartbreak and other emotional struggles. A "remorsecapade" indeed.

Woodhands are still at their best when Paul's beating the life out of his drum kit, and Dan's screaming his mind out. The heart-wrenching ups and downs make Remorsecapade an impressive contribution to the art of the album. Excellently crafted---with that touch of humour at the start of "Sluts"---the songs will certainly go over well with on the DJ circuit, get lots of play at home parties, but also have an intellectual appeal. But forget about all that. I'm still dancing in my chair.

Download: "Pockets" (Remorsecapade, 2010).
Download: "I Kissed A Girl (Katy Perry cover)" (unreleased, 2009).
Download: "Dancer" (Heart Attack, 2008).
Download: "I Wasn't Made For Fighting" (Heart Attack, 2008).



Remorsecapade is out now. Pick up a copy at your local record store, or order it through Paper Bag Records (or whatever other online retailer you like). The band is playing shows through Canada this winter. Their MySpace has all the details.

Frank has his review up, and so does Ricky.

Shout Out / Review: The Wooden Sky @ Sonic Boom, 24 Aug.

On Monday evening local roots rock band The Wooden Sky played a free set in the basement of Sonic Boom Records in the Annex. The place was nearly full, and we were all treated to a full set of songs new and old. The 5-piece performed tracks off their new album, If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone, just out this week, as well as 2006's self-titled disc. The band's front-man, Gavin Gardiner, was in fine form, and the other band members were too. I was sitting at the front with a few others, and enjoyed myself immensely. I've seen this band a couple times in the past, but it's been many months, and it looks like they've settled into their new lineup really well.

The new album will appeal to the band's existing fanbase: there are no big surprises here. And it should solidify The Wooden Sky's place as one of the country's top younger (but experienced) roots bands. Gavin's got a great voice, and tells compelling stories. The string-heavy band---bass, guitar, banjo, violin, but also keyboard, harmonica, and percussion---adds intensity and musical interest. The addition of female backing vocals on the disc adds a new layer to the band's sound. The first track, "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)," captures the band's calmer moments well. On the second, the pace is quickened and keyboard comes in; on the third, the drums play a larger role. But then we're back to a quieter mood... until the freneticism comes in part-way through the fourth song. And so it goes. There are few standout tracks on the album. But this isn't a slight: it's all worth listening to. My own favourites are the less rockier ones, including "An Evening Hymn," "Something Hiding For Us In The Night," and these two:

Download: "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)" (If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone, 2009).
Download: "Oslo" (If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone, 2009).

The band's been on the road this summer, playing living rooms, backyards, and other smaller spaces. They head back out near the end of September, backing up Elliott Brood across the continent. Sounds like a brilliant pairing to me.

[Photo credit: Frank Yang.]

Shout Out: Friends In Bellwoods 2.

On 25 August, Out of This Spark records will be releasing the Friends in Bellwoods Compilation 2, a double disc of musical treats featuring some of the city's---and the country's---best bands and musicians. The compilation was edited by Casey Mecija and James Bunton from the band Ohbijou, and many of the tracks were recorded at Casey's bungalow near Trinity-Bellwoods Park.

The big parties happen next weekend (details below), but pre-release celebrations for the discs are happening tonight (Wednesday) at the Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar). The weekly Granny Boots series is hosting the free party, starting at 7:30pm, with a promised end time of 11pm, so you can get home and into bed and back out to work tomorrow morning without losing any sleep. (Isn't that nice of them?) The show will feature performances from Gentleman Reg and Katie Sketch ("delicious duets"), Diamond Rings (AKA John O'Regan from OOTS band The D'Urbervilles), and Casey Mecija, Ohbijou's frontwoman. There will be video screenings, too. Look for new videos from Ohbijou, Diamond Rings, Kids on TV, and Katie Stelmanis.

To get you in the mood for the parties tonight and next weekend, here are a few tracks from the compilation:

Download: The D'Urbervilles, "Magic Arrow" (Timber Timbre cover)
Download: The Phonemes, "April, Let’s Send His Colleagues An Email"
Download: Tusks, "New To Old Money"

Some of the other rare, unreleased, and new songs on the discs include ones by some of my favourite acts: Forest City Lovers, Basia Bulat, The Acorn, Timber Timbre, Gentleman Reg, Great Lake Swimmers, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Hooded Fang... and so much more! There are some great new finds in here for me, and some great tracks from these and other bands I already know and love. The songs tend toward the folky, rootsy, acoustic-y, though there are plenty of more rocking tunes. Proceeds from the compilation's sale go to the Daily Bread Foodbank, so you can feel charitable in your purchase. Copies are available from iTunes, Sonic Unyon, or Zunior. Head over the Friends in Bellwoods website for more info and links.

The compilation will get some fitting release events. The big party is next Friday, 28 August, at Lee's Palace. The lineup includes Bocce, Ohbijou (special set w/ guests), Forest City Lovers, and Evening Hymns. Promises to be a great night of music. Tickets are $12 in advance (from Soundscapes and Rotate This) or $15 at the door. I predict a sell-out. Special guests include Sylvie Smith (from The Magic), Rolf Klausener (The Acorn), Nils Edenloff (The RAA), Gentleman Reg, and The Wooden Sky.

On Saturday, 29 August, there's a full day of music starting at noon at the Tranzac. Tickets are $10 (or $8 with a non-perishable food donation), and the event is all ages. The lineup is crazy-good, beginning with Bruce Peninsula and ending with The Acorn. This event is also a BBQ. Awesome.

Here's the full track listing for the compilation:

Disc One

1. Forest City Lovers – Minneapolis
2. Le Pigeon – Freezing Rain
3. Basia Bulat – My Heart Is A Warning
4. The Acorn – Slippery When Wet
5. Canadian Wildlife – Winter’s Moon
6. Double Suicide – Touch The Sun
7. Great Bloomers – Find My Way
8. Lisa Bozikovic – The Letting Go
9. Bellewoods – Kneel On The Apron
10. Kate Rogers – The Same Party
11. Timber Timbre – Water
12. No Kids – All That Heaven Allows
13. Snailhouse – Don’t Go Anywhere
14. Final Fantasy – Red Sun (Demo Version)
15. Sylvie Smith – On Our Own
16. Bruce Peninsula – In Parallel
17. Gentleman Reg – For Trust
18. Evening Hymns – Cedars
19. Kite Hill – Tom Thumbtack
20. The Bellwoods Crew – Staten Island Waltz

Disc Two

1. The Dinghies – The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
2. Bocce – Inspiration Bellwoods
3. Kids On TV - Poison
4. Katie Stelmanis – Believe Me
5. The D’Urbervilles – Magic Arrow
6. Sebastien Grainger – Home Is The Light
7. Violence – Living Off The Land
8. Ohbijou – An Ode To An End
9. Great Lake Swimmers – Send Me A Letter
10. The Low Notes – Glory Glory
11. Snowblink – When Pushed From A High Branch
12. lice - yggdrasil
13. Emma McKenna - Happiness
14. Richard Laviolette – Media Song
15. The Adam Brown – Joy Rider
16. The Phonemes – April, Let’s Send His Colleagues An Email
17. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Rough And Tumble
18. Tusks – New To Old Money
19. Hooded Fang – Highway Steam
20. The Wooden Sky – My Old Ghosts

Review / Giveaway: The Junction's "Another Link In the Chain."

The Junction, a Toronto-based three-piece (with suburban roots), released their second album last week. A great example of danceable Canadian indie pop-rock, Another Link In the Chain will appeal to indie kids as well as commercial radio stations programming for the broader music-listening audience.

This is a group clearly inspired by the rock they grew up with in the 90s and indie rock bands of the 2000s. By bringing these two influences together with a nod to classic Brit-pop, the Junction has crafted a strong rock album that should appeal to indie rock fans as well as audiences looking for something a little more accessible. Expect melodic guitar lines, heavy drumming, clear vocals, and so on. But just when you might think you’ve got the band’s sound pinned-down, screamo-vocals, handclaps, tambourine, and horns come in to shake things up. It all makes for a good outing with enough interest in to keep me from getting bored, but plenty of pop-rock hooks to keep the kids happy.

The first single is the happy, peppy, rock anthem “My Love Was There”—obviously so. It’s sure to get audience members jumping, clapping, and singing along. “And if you hear my song, sing along, sing along. A-La da da....” Fun! I don’t like the fade-out at the end, but that’s probably a wise radio-friendly decision on the band’s part. Other strong pop-rock tunes include “Pick Your Battles,” the slower Brit pop-inspired “Miles in Denial,” “Level with Me,” and “Lonely Road.” “No Road” showcases the band’s rockier side. Not all songs work as well, but nothing completely disappoints. The band has a sound that’s both a little interesting and totally accessible. Catchy and fun, it should translate well in a live setting (though maybe not all those horns).

Download: “My Love Was There” (Another Link In the Chain, 2009)
Video: “My Love Was There”
Download: “Miles in Denial” (Another Link In the Chain, 2009)

The Junction celebrate the album’s release in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern on Thursday, 13 August. Support acts include rockers The Reason and Songs From A Room. Thanks to Audio Blood Media, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show, plus a copy of the new CD. Yipee! If you want in on this, send me an email with “The Junction” in the subject line and your full name in the body. If you win, your name + 1 will be on the guestlist; you’ll be able to pick up your CD at the merch table. This is +19 show. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm on 11 August.

I’m giving away a copy of the album over at NxEW.ca, so if can’t make the show feel free to enter that giveaway!

The Junction have a few shows in southern Ontario coming up:

Aug. 8 @ Rock the Mill, Cambridge
Aug. 13 @ Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (CD release)
Aug. 15 @ Secret Sessions at TARA, Toronto (5pm, free, all ages)
Aug. 28 @ Call the Office, London
Aug. 29 @ MC/DC Festival, Toronto

[Top photo by David Waldman.]

Shout out: Great Bloomers.

Tyler and I have hosted only a few bands on the podcast in the year we've been doing it, and we've enjoyed each one. The band I had the longest experience with before we got to interview them is Great Bloomers. I first saw them play back when they were performing songs off their first EP (Great Bloomers, 2007), a couple times more, and then was thrilled to make their CD release show at the Horseshoe this year where they showcased songs off their debut full-length (Speak of Trouble). The band is heading off on tour this summer, and I feel like it's about time I told you a little more about what I think.

This young group based in Toronto craft folk-pop Canadiana perfect for summer evenings at the cottage or backyard barbeques. The songs on this debut full length are all about romances and breakups, nostalgia, and moving on. The record is upbeat but thoughtful, youthful yet mature, built on the vocal strength of singer Lowell Sostomi and the spot-on instrumentation of his talented band-mates. And the production, care of The Wooden Sky’s Gavin Gardiner, is excellent. I especially enjoy the keyboard parts and the rare slide guitar appearance. Meant to be experienced as a whole album, it’s hard to pick just one track to post. But the various moods showcased on the album come through on “Admit Defeat.” Enjoy.

Download: Great Bloomers, “Admit Defeat” (Speak of Trouble, 2009).
Download: Great Bloomers, “Speak of Trouble” (Speak of Trouble, 2009).
Download: Great Bloomers, "Catching Up" (Great Bloomers, 2007).

The band performs in Toronto a few times over the next little while, and then they hit the road for tour stops across Canada.

Saturday, 13 June
AUX.tv secret session @ TARA (554 Queen St. East), 5pm, free. All ages. RSVP with your name the number of people coming to rsvpATsecretsessionstaraDOTcom. More information about this acoustic series is here.

Thursday, 18 June
The band performs as part of the Us vs. East showcase during NXNE @ Clinton's Tavern, $10 or free with wristband/pass. More details at the Facebook event page.

Thursday, 25 June
Ohbijou CD release show @ The Opera House. All ages, $13 (adv tix avail.). Great Bloomers open up along with Evening Hymns. Should be a fantastic night of music. Facebook.

More Canadian tour dates:

Thurs July 23 Wakefield – Black Sheep Inn
Sat July 25 Kingston – The Mansion
Sun July 26 Toronto – Wavelength at Sneaky Dees w. Jon Rae
Tues July 28 London – Black Sheep
Wens July 29 Hamilton – The Casbah
Fri July 31 Guelph – The Albion
Sat Aug 1 Sault St Marie – Loplops
Tues Aug 4 Regina – Exchange
Thurs Aug 6 Calgary - Palomino
Sat Aug 8 Vancouver - Biltmore
Mon Aug 10 Kelowna – Blue Gator
Wens Aug 12 Edmonton - Hydeaway
Thus Aug 13 Saskatoon – Lydias

Check the band's MySpace page for more tour details as they are announced in the coming weeks.

Here's the Zygiella podcast with Great Bloomers (in case you missed it the first time around).

Check out their MTV Canada live performance here.

Buy their albums over at Maple Music.

Finally, here's Colin's interview with the band:

Ticket/CD Giveaway & Review: Flotilla @ Tranzac, Thursday, 4 June.

Montreal band Flotilla’s second full-length album, One Hundred Words for Water, is full of musical surprises of the best kind. Flotilla is hard to pin down, genre wise. Some tracks are solidly indie art-rock, but there’s a jazzy flavour underlying the whole album. Add a bit of cabaret, folk-rock elements, a dash of electronica, nonstandard time signatures, and occasional mid-song mood changes, and you’ve got Flotilla. Veronica Charnley’s vocals are the standout element, but the inclusion of harp lines throughout—a classical harpist is one of the band’s four regular members—also differentiate this band from others. Sonic surprises abound, but the intention is not to startle; rather, it is to delight. This beautiful, impressive album should find a place in the hearts of lovers of good music with a variety of musical tastes. [Full disclosure: Veronica was my best friend in grade 4 :-).]

Toronto audiences can hear Flotilla first-hand next Thursday, 4 June, when they release their album at the Tranzac with John Tielli's Metal Kites and Culture Reject. A great bill, at the right venue. Courtesy of Flotilla, I've got a pair of tickets to the show plus a copy of the new disk to giveaway to one lucky blog reader! To enter, email me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom. Please include your full name in the message, and "Flotilla" in the subject line. Get your entry in to me by 11:59pm on Tuesday, 2 June. If you don't win, tickets are available at the door for $8.

For a sense of what you're in for, here's a couple tracks from the new album, a couple from Flotilla's debut full-length, and a bonus track from Culture Reject. Enjoy!

Download: Flotilla, “Charlie, I’m Through” (One Hundred Words for Water, 2009).
Download: Flotilla, “A Thousand Jacobs” (One Hundred Words for Water, 2009).
Download: Flotilla, "Beneath the Snow" (Disaster Poetry, 2006).
Download: Flotilla, "Secret Love" (Disaster Poetry, 2006).
Download: Culture Reject, "Inside the Cinema" (Culture Reject, 2008).

Flotilla will be touring the new release in central and eastern Canada in June and July. Check their MySpace for details.

Ticket/CD Giveaway: Green Go (CD release) @ Wrongbar, 30 Apr.

First, I review the new album. Scroll down further for a couple song downloads for contest details.

As a live music fan rather than an avid clubber, I prefer bands to DJs—no disrespect intended. But I do like dancing, and once in a while a really top-notch electro group can get me really moving. Woodhands, of course. But perhaps my second favourite is a young Guelph band called Green Go.

Up to now, to take a bit of the party home with me, I've had to do with a smattering of demo songs, a sampler/teaser given out at shows since the fall, and their more recent remixes of some of my favourite Canadian bands. But now---well, next Tuesday---Green Go's got their debut full-length ready. And, as expected, it's great.

Standout tracks on Borders include "You Know You Want It," "Ghosts of the Future," and "Fool Me Once." "You Know You Want It" is a fast-paced number with interesting, inventive synth lines, two drummers, and multiple vocal parts. "Fool Me Once" is the high point of the album for me. It starts out slow then gets fast, moving back and forth a couple times, highlighting the importance of the vocals and lyrics on the album. Impressive synth, bass, and guitar lines play off each other, backed up by drums. I would think it impossible not to dance to this one. There's also more standard electro pop like the uber catchy "Brains for Breakfast," and the fun, energetic songs I most associate with this band: "Put Your Specs On Boy," "Cash Money Gremlins," and "Watch Your Step."

The slow songs are some of the ones that really got me into this band, but Toronto crowds can be fickle, so the downtempo ones ("Set Me Free," "Danger Bay") aren't always performed. On the album, listeners can really appreciate the intricacies of good dance music: speed and freneticism are cool and all, but Green Go gives you a more varied workout.

Download: "You Know You Want It" (Borders, 2009).
Download: "Fool Me Once" (Borders, 2009).

Cleary, I'm a fan, and I'm thrilled the record so marvelously captures the qualities that impress me about the band's music. I last saw them at Sneaky Dee's a couple months back, and have been itching to get to their next show ever since. And now here's my chance. And yours.

To celebrate the long-anticipated release of their debut album, Borders, the band's playing next Thursday, 30 April, at Wrongbar. (This is the very venue Woodhands chose to release their album a year ago. Actually, I haven't been back since. But enough about me and Woodhands.) The party will go all night: in addition to Green Go, the bill features fellow Guelphites The Magic, Toronto synth-ers Everything All the Time, and the guys from OPOPO in the DJ booth. Stellar.

Courtesy No Shame I've got a pair of tickets to a show and a copy of the new CD to give away. For a chance at the prize, email me at historyjenATgmailDOTcom. Put "I want to dance with Green Go" in the subject line, and your full name in the body of the message. The winner will have to get him- or herself to the show, so Torontonians (at least for next Thursday night) only, please. Get your message to me by 11:59pm on Wednesday, 29 April. If you don't win, tickets at just $5 at the door.

Wee! Green Go!

Fine print: No Shame presents Green Go (CD release), The Magic, Everything All the Time, and OPOPO DJs @ Wrongbar, 9pm, $5. Facebook event.

Review: Woodhands @ The Phoenix; new Dancer EP.

Friday night I biked over to the Phoenix to see one of my favourite bands, Woodhands. As I told you last week, it had been a while since this duo played Toronto. That vocalist/keytarist/synth-ist Dan Werb and drummer/vocalist Paul Banwatt were playing the Phoenix this time around, a club with a capacity of over 1,000, was impressive, and I hoped they'd get a good crowd out. Well, they did, and I'm told there was lots of dancing, not just at the front (where I was) but in the middle and toward the back, too. I'm sure the band earned a whole lot of new fans that night. Lots of existing fans were out too. Everyone around me was singing along to "Dancer," "I Wasn't Made For Fighting," and other songs. (You can't see me in the above photo: Paul drumstick is blocking my face.)

Woodhands!

(Sorry, I get excited when I think about this band.)

I missed the first performer-- solo act Golden Girls, who does 80s-inspired synth pop---but got there for for the start of Creature's set. This Montreal party band (for lack of a better description) played to an already-healthy crowd, and their kinda-funky, kinda-pop, kinda-rock set was filled with antics that the youngsters at the front ate up. It wasn't totally my thing, but the foursome certainly created a positive party atmosphere. Next up, after a long wait, was The Carps, a duo originally from Scarborough (so they said) consisting of a drummer/vocalist and a bassist/synth-ist. I was told later that they sounded a bit off their game, and man I hope so because I did not get it at all. It was just weird, and not in a good way. Ah well. They seemed to have a good following, though, so ... well, I guess it's just not for me.

Woodhands took the stage at around ten to 1am. It was worth the wait. They played extended versions of many of the tracks of their full-length, the awesome Heart Attack (Paperbag, 2008), one new songs, plus their cover of "Electric Avenue." Brilliant! It took a few minutes for me to really get in the mood, but once I was warmed up, the band had me jumping up and down like a fool like most people around me. No crowd surfing (that I noticed) this time. Just a sweat-soaked dance party like only Woodhands knows how to host. After closing out with "Dancer," featuring vocalist Maylee Todd, who sang the song on the record, but who rarely joins the band on stage these days, there was a two-song encore. Gentleman Reg sang a great version of "Sailboats," my favourite track off the album. The show's promoter, the night's DJs, Maylee, and some of the band's friends---as well as a couple photographers who put down their cameras---were doing the same crazy dancing at the back and sides of the stage that those of us in the audience were doing. Wow. What a great set.

[Photo Credit: Garry Tsaconas. Click on the photo to see the original and Garry's other shots from that night.]

---

I've got one more bit of Woodhands news to tell you about: their Dancer EP, released back in February. It's a collection of reworkings by other artists of "Dancer," plus a couple different Woodhands's versions of that song. Available in digital form only, there are 7 tracks:

1. "Dancer (Extended Mix)"
2. "Dancer (Bit Funk Remix)"
3. "Dancer (DJ Rexford Mix)"
4. "Dancer (Feat. Reeseman Kackalak)"
5. "Dancer (Soundsmith Remix)"
6. "Dancer (CFCF Remix)"
7. "Dancer (Instrumental)"

The vibes represented are pretty diverse here. The extended version of "Dancer" gives you a much better sense of Woodhands's live show than the record. This is the song that the duo tends to end with, and I've seen they play it for 20 minutes. Extended jams are one of the best elements of Woodhands in concert. The Bit Funk remix is my favourite of re-done track. It takes an already great dance song and changes it up a bit, replacing the freneticism of the original with a solid dance track that could be a staple of the club scene. Hip hop fans will dig Philly MC Reeseman Kackalak's take on the song's subject. The Soundsmith remix struck me a bit odd at first, but after a few listens I think it's an interesting dance track with a couple different moods that showcases how good the original song really is. Woodhands's labelmates CFCF offer up a happier tone, like a more peppy, chill Woodhands, but still eminently danceable. Woodhands's fans and DJs/dance party hosts will want these reworkings.