Recording: Colin Fisher + Jesse Laderoute

Artist: Colin Fisher + Jesse Laderoute

Song: [first part of an improvisation]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), May 18, 2014.

Colin Fisher + Jesse Laderoute - [first part of an improvisation]

Full review to follow. Although they might not have shared many stages lately, Colin Fisher (of Not The Wind, Not The Flag and so much more) and Jesse Laderoute (of Young Mother and Blonde Elvis) have jammed together off and on for a few years now. Laderoute set the tone here with his synth burbulations and then Fisher pushed things forward (on guit and pedal manipulations) in this first segment of their joint set before they let the sonic ground shift a bit.

Recording: Jesse Laderoute

Artist: Jesse Laderoute

Song: [second piece]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), May 18, 2014.

Jesse Laderoute - [second piece]

Full review to follow. Seated on the floor and surrounded by synth and plenty of pedals, Jesse Laderoute (of Young Mother and Blonde Elvis) unfurls a bit of a homespun Beyond the Infinite here, as he continues to stretch out his improvisatory chops.

Concert Listings Roundup #46

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

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Gig of the week:

Audiopollination 18.3 (feat. Chris Adriaanse/John Oswald/John Kamevaar / Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Michael Snow/Paul Dutton / CCMC) / Array Space 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [FB event]

That lineup might look like a jumble of names, but the simple takeaway is this: free-improv legends CCMC will close out the night, and the various members thereof will also split up for additional improvisations in the opening sets. And, as always, "creative bonanza" Audiopollination will feature the live visual improvisations of John Creson and Adam Rosen.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Lina Allemano Four / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-27 (Tuesday) [FB event]

New Music 101 (feat. Soundstreams / Spectrum Music) / Toronto Public Library – Fort York branch 2014-05-28 (Wednesday – free! early! interactive!) [FB event]

BB Guns & Omhouse [double release party!] (Petra Glynt) / The Piston 2014-05-28 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Kelp 20 (feat. The Acorn / Jim Bryson / Evening Hymns / Andrew Vincent / Andy Shauf / Chris Page / Andy Swan / Rhume / Flecton Big Sky) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-05-29 (Thursday) [FB event]

Wavelength 601 (feat. Dan Deacon / DIANA / Digits) / Adelaide Hall 2014-05-29 (Thursday – $3 tix with RSVP!) [FB event]

Dave MacKinnon and Rob Cruickshank: 100 Years of Hugh Le Caine ["Celebrating the 100th birthday of the founder of Canadian electronics"] / The Music Gallery 2014-05-30 (Friday) [more info]

The Ryan Driver Quartet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-30 (Friday)

Somewhere There (feat. Donkey Lopez [Juan Lonely Night album release!] / Aisha Sasha John's Unit) / Array Space 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

PLATFORM: Music at Mercer (feat. Absolutely Free / Weaves / Swiss Dice) / Mercer Union 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

junctQín keyboard collective: FIVE / Gallery 345 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Construction, Vol. 2 (feat. The Dirty Nil / Milk Lines / Billy Dre & The Poor Boys) / Double Double Land 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Young Doctors in Love [World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band album release party!] (Fitness / Blimp Rock) / The Garrison 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Sheezer Spring Fling (feat Sheezer / So Young / Wax Atlantic) / Lee's Palace 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Holiday Rambler [7" Release!] (Hurricanes Of Love / The Keys / Player 2) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [FB event]

Cœur de pirate (Bry Webb) / Massey Hall 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [more info]

Pinball Sessions' 1 Year Anniversary Party! (feat. Eamon McGrath / Badminton Racquet / Blastronaut) / Handlebar 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [FB event]

No Angels Dancing [Allison Cameron + D. Alex Meeks] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-06-01 (Sunday — matinée, 1-3 p.m.)

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Add these to your calendar:

Somewhere There (feat. Lina Allemano / Peggy Lee / Marilyn Lerner – solos and trio) / Array Space 2014-06-04 (Wednesday)

Redraw the Map [poetry, improvised music + visuals & comedy] (feat. Bill Gilliam [piano] / Ambrose Pottie [percussion] / John Creson and Adam Rosen [voices and improvised visuals]) / Gallery 345 2014-06-06 (Friday)

Dundas West Fest (feat. Green Rays + many more) / Lakeview Stage @ Beer Store parking lot 2014-06-07 (Saturday – outside! all day! free!) [FB event]

Apetechnology (Brian Ruryk / Tarpit / Giant Claw & Seth Graham / Toblerone Boys) / The White House 2014-06-07 (Saturday) [FB event]

Tough Age (Gay / Mean Tikes) / Magpie Taproom 2014-06-11 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Pharmakon (Ell V Gore / S†NS / Spore) / S.H.I.B.G.B's 2014-06-12 (Thursday) [FB event]

Canaille [reunion show!] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-06-13 (Friday – early!) [FB event]

The First Junction Punk Rock Throw Down (feat. Surinam / Beverleys / Walk North / Ancient Peoples) / The Junction City Music Hall 2014-06-14 (Saturday) [FB event]

159 Manning BBQ 2014 – Part 2 (feat. Bloodshot Bill / Beliefs / Twist / Soft Hell / allie / Light Fires / Death Hymn Number 9 / Sacred Harp Shape Note Singers / Xiu Xiu / Invasions / Canailles / Old Man Canyon / KC Accidental) / 159 Manning 2014-06-20 (Friday) [FB event]

Great Lake Swimmers (The Rural Alberta Advantage) / Massey Hall 2014-07-08 (Tuesday) [more info]

Basia Bulat (Destroyer [solo]) / Massey Hall 2014-07-10 (Thursday) [more info]

Recording: Thin Edge New Music Collective

Artist: Thin Edge New Music Collective

Song: Doors [composer: Liz Hysen]

Recorded at The Music Gallery (Emergents IV), May 15, 2014.

Thin Edge New Music Collective - Doors

Full review to follow. One of the themes that Nick Storring wanted to explore in curating this last instalment of the Music Gallery's fab Emergents series was opening up the idea of chamber music to those outside the normal narrow view of "composers". So for this set, Thin Edge played pieces by some great musicians — just not ones who are normally associated with formal, notated composition. Colin Fisher (of Not the Wind, Not The Flag), Matthew Ramolo (aka Khôra), Sean McCann and Araz Salek all managed to infuse their work with their own musical personalities, as does Liz Hysen in this piece. There are sections here that could come from a Picastro song — and then the door opens on a wider landscape. A very intriguing night.

Recording: Jason Doell & Germaine Liu

Artist: Jason Doell & Germaine Liu

Song: Wild Bengal Tigers^* [excerpt]

Recorded at The Music Gallery ("Emergents IV"), May 15, 2014.

Jason Doell & Germaine Liu - Wild Bengal Tigers [excerpt]

Full review to follow. The first half of this Nick Storring-curated Emergents show was given over to this duo performance. There were improvisatory elements at play, but they followed a compositional plan — though in this case the composition was more of a road map than a notated score. Using the entire length of the room, Liu and Doell moved from found-object percussion on the stage, traipsed along a "runway" down the central aisle, and played textured guitar/vibes/piano at the back. There's actually a whole lot more, but instead of reading a play-by-play, you can actually just watch the whole thing.

^* This is not a confirmed title — and may, in fact, end up serving as the duo's musical moniker. But those words have been whispered, so we'll put them down for now and update as necessary.

Recording: Tails

Artist: Tails

Song: Birds^*

Recorded at Handlebar ("The Final Crosswires"), May 11, 2014.

Tails - Birds

Full review to follow. Celebrating the release of a tasty new EP, Tails' sound hearkens back to when "Alternative" held some meaning as a genre tag. Melodic guitar-rock, I heard a few hints of, say, Buffalo Tom in the mix, but this doesn't rely too much on nostalgic sonic refurbishment.

^* Thanks to the band for passing the title to this one along.

Recording: The Jim Storie Juniors

Artist: The Jim Storie Juniors

Song: Webbed Feet

Recorded at Handlebar ("The Final Crosswires"), May 11, 2014.

The Jim Storie Juniors - Webbed Feet

Full review to follow. After fourteen years of booking and MC-ing Sunday night shows, Duncan "Doc Pickles" MacDonell has decided to step back and focus on his own musical projects. The Jim Storie Juniors might not bear his name, but the music is infused with his DNA, galumphing through songs like a Guided By Voices drunk only (mostly) on their own enthusiasm. The full-on commitment — we're doing this, we love it, why aren't you doing what you love? — always makes the band a sheer delight to behold.

And now, come Sunday night, non-euclidean geometry will not be mused upon, mayors will not be evaluated, FACTOR grants will go uncriticized. But somewhere, somewhere, somebody is putting together a show so they can hear the bands they want to hear. It might not sound perfect and the whole show might go awry, but if there's someone there digging it, it's all right. Don't forget to tip your bartender, folks, and hug your host.

Recording: Owen Pallett

Artist: Final Fantasy Owen Pallett

Songs: The Passions + The Riverbed

Recorded at The Danforth Music Hall, May 10, 2014.

Owen Pallett - The Passions

Owen Pallett - The Riverbed

Full review to follow. Weirdly enough, the last time I was at The Danforth was in August 2008 for a Final Fantasy gig. In the time since, the venue has been closed and re-opened, now with a seatless and slightly barren main floor, which actually feels far less claustrophobic than its previously overstuffed incarnation as a sit-down soft-seater.

One long album cycle later, Pallett is now solo in name, but part of a band on stage, joined by Rob Gordon and Matt "Prince Nifty" Smith (his former partners in Les Mouches). He did play a handful of songs solo, reaching back through his catalogue to acknowledge his old hometown crowd, but the meat of the set was the material from the brand new In Conflict.

Recording: Doldrums

Artist: Doldrums

Song: Closer 2 U

Recorded at The Danforth Music Hall, May 10, 2014.

Doldrums - Closer 2 U

With a new album in the can, Airick Woodhead seemed most interested in sharing some new material with early the crowd half-filling up the floor as people straggled in for the night's headliner. And whether it was a function of the new material's dynamics or being pumped through the big room sound system — or a more assured popsmart sense of songcraft — the dominant impression here was that the new stuff was dominated less by experimental sound-smears and more arena-ready anthems. It definitely feels like this project has come a long way from its basement freak-folk and park-squat rave-up origins. (The band this time out included Steven Foster on drums, brother Daniel "Moon King" on perc/keybs and Maddy Wilde on keybs.)

Recording: Panic Engines

Artist: Panic Engines

Song: Improvisation for National Drone Day [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac – Tiki Room ("National Drone Day // Toronto"), May 10, 2014.

Panic Engines - Improvisation for National Drone Day [excerpt]

Full review to follow. Born as a counter to "the tyrants of melody and rhythm", Weird Canada's new holiday facilitated grassroots aural uprisings across the nation. This evening show at The Tranzac was well-attended from the get-go, but sadly I could only stay for one set before having to move on down the line. But I was glad to get a chance to see William Davison (also involved in many other projects) testing out this new-ish solo persona with assured knob-twisting.

Recording: Jennifer Castle

Artist: Jennifer Castle

Song: Downriver [originally posted as "Down the River"]

Recorded at The Drake Underground ("DIANA's Dig Deep"), May 8, 2014.

Jennifer Castle - Downriver

Full review to follow. Closing out DIANA's ambient-tinged "Dig Deep" night, Castle sat on the floor and let her voice wind around the pulse of her hypnotic guitar playing as she mixed a few old favourites with songs that should be appearing on her forthcoming new album. The small-ish crowd (including members of the night's headliners) were gathered close around the front of the stage to take it in.

[Jen Castle will be playing the next Feast in the East, which sports a very tasty lineup.]

Recording: DIANA

Artist: DIANA

Song: New House ["Dig Deep" version]

Recorded at The Drake Underground ("DIANA's Dig Deep"), May 8, 2014.

DIANA - New House ["Dig Deep" version]

Full review to follow. Though technically part of a local corporate music festival, DIANA didn't "showcase" themselves as potential widgets for the industry, instead engineering their two-night stand at The Drake into something artistically expansive. Pushing out from their established sound, the second night found them transforming their uptempo material into dancefloor-filling house anthems while the first veered radically in the other direction, adding some extra musicians to claw away at melodic flesh to find the underlying ambient skeletons. The band also called upon some of their old friends from the local scene, and thus hopefully a few people that were fooled into buying wristbands were exposed to the likes of Doc Dunn, Jen Castle and Bernice's Robin Dann (who convened an immersive, brain-tinglin' ASMR environment).

Concert Listings Roundup #45

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

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Gig of the week:

All Toronto's Parties II: Daytime (feat. Isla Craig / Castlevania [members of Ketamines + Castle If] / Bong Water [Skull Bong + HVYWTR]/ Valerie Dour / Elrichman) / "Various locations throughout Kensington Market" 2014-05-24 (Saturday – matinée! PWYC!) [FB event]

All Toronto's Parties II: Nighttime (feat. Darlene Shrugg / Frisch Kind [Fresh Snow + Jamie Kidd] / Nature [members of Sexy Merlin + Man Made Hill + Ketamines + Seance Centre] / Abra Cadaver [Wolfcow + Bile Sister] / Wildlife Rodeo [Doc Dunn + Mike Smith]) / Comfort Zone 2014-05-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

All Toronto's Parties formed with the mandate to get some of the folks who put on the best DIY shows in town working together. It paid off big time at their first event, where each of the founding organizations picked one band for a non-genre specific bill. Their second event is even more ambitious in its musical mixing, bringing together some of the best musicians around to play together in ad hoc bands. And, for the kicker, the night's events at the Comfort Zone are preceded by an afternoon ramble through Kensington Market, with bands playing in shops and parks. It's a one-off several times over and not to be missed.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Toronto Homicide Squad (Whoop-Zso / Lice / The Kettle Black) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-20 (Tuesday) [FB event]

The Moon (Body Help) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-21 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Hurricane & Able (Persian Rugs / Terror Lake) / The Piston 2014-05-21 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Colin Fisher + Mike Gennaro [duo set, then quartet set with Steve Ward + Mark Hundevad] / The Imperial Pub 2014-05-22 (Thursday)

You've Changed Records 5th Anniversary Celebration! (feat. The Weather Station / Shotgun Jimmie / Baby Eagle / Marine Dreams / Richard Laviolette) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-05-22 (Thursday) [FB event]

Lina Allemano + Brodie West [Solos + Duos] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-23 (Friday – early!)

Timber Timbre (Cold Specks) / Massey Hall 2014-05-23 (Friday) [more info]

Ronda Rindone's Quorum [Gestation album release!] / Pia Bouman School 2014-05-23 (Friday) [FB event]

Jay Hay + Mike Gennaro [Duo set, plus trio set with Mark Hundevad] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-24 (Saturday)

SLOWPITCH / Sonic Boom Kensington 2014-05-25 (Sunday – free! all ages! afternoon show @ 3 p.m.) [more info]

Somewhere There (feat. Alexandra Spence + Paul Newman [Bartok duos and improvisations] / KGB [Karen Ng/Bea Labikova/Germaine Liu]) / Array Space 2014-05-25 (Sunday)

Toronto Does Toronto 5 / Holy Oak Café 2014-05-25 (Sunday) [rescheduled — new date TBA]

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Add these to your calendar:

New Music 101 (feat. Soundstreams / Spectrum Music) / Toronto Public Library – Fort York branch 2014-05-28 (Wednesday – free! early! interactive!) [FB event]

Lina Allemano Four / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-27 (Tuesday) [FB event]

BB Guns & Omhouse [double release party!] (Petra Glynt) / The Piston 2014-05-28 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Wavelength 601 (feat. Dan Deacon / DIANA / Digits) / Adelaide Hall 2014-05-29 (Thursday – $3 tix with RSVP!) [FB event]

PLATFORM: Music at Mercer (feat. Absolutely Free / Weaves / Swiss Dice) / Mercer Union 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Young Doctors in Love [World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band album release party!] (Fitness / Blimp Rock) / The Garrison 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

We Were Heads / Les Ex [Split 7" Release!] (Alpha Strategy / Wolfcow) / CineCycle 2014-06-07 (Saturday) [FB event]

Construction, Volume 3 (feat. Comet Control [Record Release!] / Mimico) / Smiling Buddha 2014-06-13 (Saturday) [FB event]

Rival Boys [Animal Instincts LP release show!] (Blonde Elvis / Legato Vipers / Stuck Out Here) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-06-14 (Saturday) [FB event]

Summer Melt: Unofficial Summer Music Festival Rager (feat. Cellphone / Teenanger / Petra Glynt / Ice Cream / Toronto Homicide Squad / DAS RAD / Wrong Hole) / Soybomb HQ 2014-06-21 (Saturday) [FB event]

Amen Dunes (Alex Calder / Wicked Witches / Milk Lines) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-06-23 (Monday) [FB event]

Recording: Mannerisms

Artist: Mannerisms

Song: This Is This

Recorded at The Garrison ("Wavelength 598: M for..."), May 7, 2014.

Mannerisms - This Is This

Full review to follow. As, ahem, mannered as their sound is, there's something punk as fuck about being so resolutely unedgy and out-of-step with prevailing trends as these purveyors of "instrumental fuzak". Proudly brandishing their jazz fusion chops (though think more Prime Time than Weather Report) there's an admirable level of restraint here.

Recording: Moonwood

Artist: Moonwood

Song: I'm Gonna Be Sick [Trans Martian Express variant]^*

Recorded at The Garrison ("Wavelength 598: M for..."), May 7, 2014.

Moonwood - I'm Gonna Be Sick

Full review to follow. Moonwood has been evolving over the past year, and here's a chance to compare what they were doing as a duo to their current sound as a quartet. The band basically played two long multi-song movements in their set — the first was jokingly titled "Olivia Chow For Mayor", and the second "Not-Rob Ford for Mayor".

^* My understanding is that though this uses the now-familiar TME riff, it is in fact a song from the band's forthcoming album. And thus, in front of your eyes, behold the new being wrought from the corpse of the old!

Recording: Chicago Underground Duo

Artist: Chicago Underground Duo

Songs: Locus + Boss

Recorded at The Garrison ("Wavelength 597"), May 1, 2014.

Chicago Underground Duo - Locus + Boss

Full review to follow. Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor brought their intriguing mix of warm ambience and funky grooves to this Wavelength show. This one-two set opener (which similarly leads off their new Locus album) came as a joined-up mini-suite, so it just makes sense to let them flow together here as well.

Recording: Not The Wind, Not The Flag

Artist: Not The Wind, Not The Flag

Song: For May Day [quiet interlude]

Recorded at The Garrison ("Wavelength 597"), May 1, 2014.

Not The Wind, Not The Flag - For May Day [quiet interlude]

Full review to follow. Duos were the night's theme at this Wavelength show, with the visiting Chicago Underground Duo joined by a couple local pairings. As sometimes happens when they find themselves in spaces where they're mic'ed up and running through a bigger PA, NTW opened and closed their set with some big volume sax/drums and guit/drums duos. But this sumptuous bridge in the middle, with Brandon Valvivia taking up his flute after setting up some vocal loops, offered an enjoyable contrast.

Recording: Clarinet Panic Deluxx

Artist: Clarinet Panic Deluxx

Song: De-troit

Recorded at Oz Studios, April 27, 2014.

Clarinet Panic Deluxx - De-troit

Full review to follow. Clarinet Panic Deluxx is a vehicle for the compositions of cellist Cory Latkovich, and at the end of a tour celebrating the release of their new No Tasseomancy album the band sounded like a chamber-prog force to be reckoned with. Joined by D. Alex Meeks (percussions and banter), Karen Ng (sax) and Sebastian Shinwell (guit), the titular clarinet was indeed present, in the centre of the floor in front of the musicians, acting as something like a talisman or undeployed threat. The compositions were intricate but not distractingly tricky, and the band's propensity to undermine the music's complexities with a few tactical curveballs kept things amusingly grounded.

Recording: Keir Neuringer

Artist: Keir Neuringer

Song: Esperar Que^*

Recorded at Oz Studios, April 27, 2014.

Keir Neuringer - Esperar Que

Full review to follow. We are breath. It gives us our life-force, our words, our songs. It passes our mysteries and our secrets from one frail human body to another. Where there's breath, there's life; and when breath fades...

Keir Neuringer's new album Ceremonies Out Of The Air is a tribute to his mother Esther, who died of lung cancer last year. Employing circular breathing techniques, the improvised music is continuous, pulsing with spirit. Live, Neuringer alternated the musical pieces with readings, creating a living monument to his mother's memory in an emotionally-intense and cathartic shared experience. "There is a metaphor: it was like breathing" — in theory this was abstract or experimental music (or call it what you will) but it's hard to think of anything more immediate and visceral and emotionally-engaging.

^* This title is given at the outset. I have no Spanish, so do let me know if I've rendered it incorrectly.

Recording: BABEL

Artist: BABEL

Song: vår [excerpt]

Recorded at Handlebar ("Crosswires"), April 27, 2014.

BABEL - vår [excerpt]

Full review to follow. Relative to his mandate of "music for and by weirdos", Jakob Rehlinger's Moonwood project has become a "real band" and approached levels heretofore unimagined (relative) popularity. But Rehlinger's BABEL project remains an outlet for his solo/experimental leanings, here leading off a night of performers from his Arachnidiscs stable with a set of improvisations for guitar, bow, mallets, pedals, etc.

Post-script: Jakob has posted an edited, remastered version of the full set over on soundcloud.

Concert Listings Roundup #44

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

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Gig of the week:

Emergents IV (feat. Thin Edge New Music Collective / Jason Doell & Germaine Liu) / The Music Gallery 2014-05-15 (Thursday) [more info]

The last Emergents show of the season is being curated by MFS friend Nick Storring and it looks like he's bringing some of the same forward-thinking genre-challenging notions he brings to his own work. Thin Edge New Music Collective is playing a set of new compositions by musicians from outside of the normal "nerw music" world, including Picastro's Liz Hysen, Colin Fisher, Matthew Ramolo (aka Khôra) and Araz Salek. Jason Doell and Germaine Liu are presenting something that "teases the ringing, screeching, rattling and creaking out of usual and unusual sound sources as they manoeuvre through a set of movement scenarios in order to create a path or paths of sonic events." I don't know what that means either — hitting stuff, I presume? — but I'm looking forward to finding out.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Potty Mouth (Flea Bite / The Beverleys / Nicholas Doubleyou & The B Squad) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-12 (Monday) [FB event]

Aurochs / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-13 (Tuesday – early!)

Audiopollination #18.1: Focus on Voice (feat. Diane Roblin and Cory Sobol / Tena Palmer and Paul Newman / John Creson and Adam Rosen / Rob Piilonen and Zoë Alexis-Abrams) / Array Space 2014-05-13 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Tax Bass (feat. Victor Bateman - Electric Bass, Pete Johnston - Electric Bass, Mike Smith - Electric Bass) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-14 (Wednesday – early!)

Susanna Hood & Mike Gennaro (Raphael Roter & Bea Labikova) / Musideum 2014-05-14 (Wednesday) [FB event]

CROSSS (Each Other / Gay) / The Smiling Buddha 2014-05-14 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Universe: A Live Soundtrack Experiment (feat. Absolutely Free / Fresh Snow / Marcel Ramagnano) / Revue Cinema 2014-05-15 (Thursday) [FB event]

Doctor Ew (Geordie Gordon) / Holy Oak Café 2014-05-15 (Thursday) [more info]

Christian Hansen [EP Release!] (Depression Era / Doug Hoyer / The Fairest & Best) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-15 (Thursday) [FB event]

DUST [monthly residency — "the quietest big band in the known world"] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-16 (Friday – early!) [FB event]

Teenanger (TV Freaks / DAS RAD) / Izakaya Sushi House 2014-05-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

Wavelength 599: "A Madcap Night of Royal Debauchery" (feat. Dilly Dally / The Sandy Pockets / Meeko Cheech / Gold Pony / The Julee Cruise Ships) / Handlebar 2014-05-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

KASHKA (Etiquette / Rival Boys) / 3030 2014-05-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

Alaniaris / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-18 (Sunday – matinée! 3 to 5 p.m.!)

Colin Fisher + Jesse Laderoute [solo sets + duo] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-18 (Sunday) [FB event]

Marisa Anderson (Matt "Doc" Dunn) / Holy Oak Café 2014-05-18 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

Hurricane & Able (Persian Rugs / Terror Lake) / The Piston 2014-05-21 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Ronda Rindone's Quorum [Gestation album release!] / Pia Bouman School 2014-05-23 (Friday) [FB event]

Construction, Vol. 2 (feat. The Dirty Nil / Milk Lines / Billy Dre & The Poor Boys) / Double Double Land 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Holiday Rambler [7" Release!] (Hurricanes Of Love / The Keys / Player 2) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [FB event]

Feast In The East 38 (feat. Jennifer Castle / Eucalyptus / Michael Mucci & Ben Grossman / Thom Gill) / Jam Factory 2014-06-05 (Thursday) [FB event]

PANIC [debut show! LP release party!] (Wyrd Visions) / Smiling Buddha 2014-06-06 (Friday) [FB event]

Healing Power Summer Smash (feat. Allison Peacock / Dunn Ra / Fleshtone Aura / Gravitons / IC/JC/VC / Manticore / Mas Aya) / The Tranzac 2014-06-14 (Saturday) [more info]

Wavelength 605 (feat. Nat Baldwin / Black Walls / Kira May) / Monarch Tavern 2014-07-24 (Thursday) [FB event]

Recording: Weaves

Artist: Weaves

Song: Buttercup + Candy

Recorded at CineCycle, April 26, 2014.

Weaves - Buttercup

Weaves - Candy

Full review to follow. When you're in the middle of it all, you don't always notice a band's constant transformation as much, but when you step back — when they put out an album, say — it's sometimes really striking how much growth there has been. Kudos, then, to Jasmyn Burke who has raised her game in so many areas, matching songwriting innovations with a captivating emergence as a frontwoman. This packed-in night at a boiling hot CineCycle felt like a joyful culmination of the past months — and even hinted that there's more to come, debuting some new songs and thickening their sound with the addition of Bram Gielen on keybs for a few songs.

Recording: New Fries

Artist: New Fries

Song: Hurricanes Be^*

Recorded at CineCycle, April 26, 2014.

New Fries - Hurricanes Be

Full review to follow. Evolving quickly, New Fries has moved beyond the relatively skeletal song structures that held things together when I first saw 'em into something with a bit more of a groove. But when you listen to the closer there's depths and depths here, as if there's still something hurt and angry scratching to get out.

^* This was introduced at this gig as "Lesbian Sneeze", but it has subsequently shown up on bandcamp under this title.

Sunday Playlist #45

Sunday Saturday Playlist #45: National Drone Day

Huzzah! It's National Drone Day! To help you "spend this day listening entirely to drone music", here's a few apt selections from my archive, including a previously unposted Drone Day exclusive from Jean-François Laporte.

If you want to experience the sounds and the community today, there are at least three shows happening in town:

• The "official" National Drone Day celebration at The Tranzac
• The AMBiENT PiNG's Afternoon dreamSTATE Drone at Arrayspace
• Drone Alone, tonight in the basement of Mây

Drone on, you crazy drone-minds.

Zachary Fairbrother Feedback Guitar Orchestra - Buddha Box 2.1 [excerpt]

Jean-François Laporte - Rust

Total Life - [excerpt]

Svarte Greiner - excerpt from an improvisation

Wyrd Visions vs. Nif-D - excerpt from an improvisation

Martin Arnold & Friends - The Cuckoo Bird

Bonus! For some extra DIY drone-styles, you can also check out this recording of humming machinery I made.

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Sunday Playlist is a semi-regular feature that brings back some of this blog's previously-posted original live recordings for an encore. You can always click the tags below to see what I originally wrote about the shows these songs came from.

Recording: Lee Paradise

Artist: Lee Paradise

Songs: Breaker + Non Helper

Recorded at The Silver Dollar Room, April 25, 2014.

Lee Paradise - Breaker

Lee Paradise - Non Helper

Full review to follow. As if his work in Hooded Fang and Phèdre (to say nothing of side-project dabblings in Hut and Tonkapuma) wasn't enough, Dan Lee has snuck out a solo album under the nom de guerre Lee Paradise. With the songs mostly based around simple, repeating basslines, there's some similarities to Dirty Beaches here, but this also brings a bit more of a hi-hat disco groove.

Eager to launch this to the world before heading off to tour the world with Phèdre, this was billed as a début — and possibly final — gig. With Lee seizing a chance for full-on frontman duties, the music came from a purpose-built band with members borrowed from Blonde Elvis and featuring HF guitarist Lane Halley providing some monster bass grooves. They had just the right balance of raw and rehearsed to give the set a vital feel, so I'm really hoping that we get another chance to hear these tunes from the stage.

Recording: Not The Wind, Not The Flag

Artist: Not The Wind, Not The Flag

Song: For Joe [Part I]

Recorded at The Tranzac – Southern Cross Lounge (Joe's Birthday Party), April 24, 2014.

Not The Wind, Not The Flag - For Joe, Part I

When your birthday comes around, you can curl up in a ball and cry over spilled entropy — I mean, that's a good option, done it plenty o' times myself. But every once in a while, it does the spirit well to gather some folks together instead. I can't calculate how fortunate I am that some folks whose music I dig came out to help me celebrate.

As the hour grew late, NTW compressed their set into a straight-up sax and drums duo, exchanging instrumental variety for some deep, deep vibes.

Recording: Sacred Lamp

Artist: Sacred Lamp

Song: [second piece]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac – Southern Cross Lounge ("Joe's Birthday Party"), April 24, 2014.

Sacred Lamp - [second piece]

When your birthday comes around, you can curl up in a ball and cry over spilled entropy — I mean, that's a good option, done it plenty o' times myself. But every once in a while, it does the spirit well to gather some folks together instead. I can't calculate how fortunate I am that some folks whose music I dig came out to help me celebrate.

This set from Ayal Senior and Matt "Doc" Dunn started off hewing closer to the space raga they were channelling when I saw them performing as Glass Tomb, but as Not The Wind, Not The Flag's Colin Fisher and Brandon Valdivia picked up some shakers, it became a good ol' fashioned cosmic back porch jam. Senior is on acoustic, panned left here, Dunn on electric to the right.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Made to Break

Artist: Made to Break

Song: [untitled piece]^*

Recorded at The Drake Underground, April 19, 2014.

Made to Break - [untitled piece]

Full review to follow. Ken Vandermark is fond of exploring different musical ideas with different collaborators so it was no surprise to see him hit town with this new quartet. The idea was to mix "the music of Ethiopia and the Ex, alongside the New Music ideas of John Cage and Morton Feldman". There was a certain commitment to repetition that might be attributable to the latter, but in execution it sounded as much a product of some punk-funk lineage — bassist Jasper Stadhouders, who played with a postpunk edge, might be responsible for that. The other novelty here was Christof Kurzmann, who provided some realtime looped electronic textures behind Vandermark's reeds and Tim Daisy's percussion. Engaging stuff, even if the early-curfew vibe at the Drake gave the proceedings a slightly-rushed edge that didn't quite give the music a chance to live up to the project's name.

^* "None of the pieces have titles, they just have music in them." – K.V. [his notes from the field, though, imply these in-progress pieces will acquite names some day.]

Recording: Nate Wooley

Artist: Nate Wooley

Song: [excerpt from second improvisation]

Recorded at The Drake Underground, April 19, 2014.

Nate Wooley - [excerpt from second improvisation]

Full review to follow. New York trumpeter Nate Wooley served as the opener for tourmate Ken Vandermark and his Made to Break project. Playing solo, Wooley sat on the lip of the stage, with his horn wired up to a guitar pedal. Employing drones and various extended techniques, his pedal-controlled electroacoustic tap-bursts brought to mind the similar methods employed by Colin Stetson, but Wooley's approach here is less inherently tuneful, more interested in creating a sonic terrain.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: In My Mind

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

PS I Love You - In My Mind

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

Paul Saulnier gave some previews of what we might expect on the follow up to the band's Death Dreams album, and live the new stuff fits in nicely with the band's past work. Saulnier still isn't one to wear his heart of his sleeve, but the guitar solos are as expressive as ever.

Recording: HSY

Artist: HSY

Song: Slimeball

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

HSY - Slimeball

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

Like a Sex Bomb igniting a swamp of grungesludge, HSY cranked up the volume and got Sonic Boom shakin'. As of this writing, they're taking their tunes (including those on a new 7") on tour across the UK. They'll spread the Buzz through the USA before returning home for NXNE.

Recording: The Bicycles

Artist: The Bicycles

Song: The Ultimate Price^*

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

The Bicycles - The Ultimate Price

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

The Bicycles' Young Drones rock opera received a re-mounting at Long Winter a couple months back, but it's even more intriguing to hear some of the tunes creeping into their regular set where they have no trouble standing on their own as tasty pop songs on a par with the rest of their catalogue. The forthcoming album version is definitely something I'm eagerly waiting to hear.

^* Thanks to Andrew for passing along the title to this one!

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Song: That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate [Mission of Burma cover] + Brain Dead

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

Greys - That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate + Brain Dead

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

Greys' set was peppered with covers and was filled out with tunes from their forthcoming full-length. This one segues quickly from one to the other, with singer/guitarist Shehzaad Jiwani dedicating this MoB classic to the record store clerks that would be most likely to recognize it.

Recording: DIANA

Artist: DIANA

Song: Here Come The Warm Jets [Brian Eno cover]

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

DIANA - Here Come The Warm Jets

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

After a whole lotta touring behind their Perpetual Surrender album, synth-rockers DIANA are looking for some new challenges, including tackling what they informed the crowd was their first ever performance of a cover. They'll be similarly tackling some new horizons with a pair of shows this week at The Drake Underground that will tap into two different vibes: their "most opiated performance ever" on Thursday (with a lineup filled with MFS faves, including Doc Dunn, the Love Nation's ASMR buds [members of Bernice and more] and Jennifer Castle) and a "pure dance set" on Friday (including a set from Ice Cream and a performance by the awesome vogue crew House Of Monroe).

Concert Listings Roundup #43

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

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Gig of the week:

DIANA presents DIG DEEP (feat. Matt "Doc" Dunn / ASMR buds [Colin Fisher/Felicity Williams/Robin Dann] / DIANA / Jennifer Castle) / The Drake Underground 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

After a whole lotta touring behind their Perpetual Surrender album, synth-rockers DIANA are looking for some new challenges. That might explain their pair of shows this week at The Drake Underground that will tap into two different vibes, including their "most opiated performance ever" on Thursday (with a lineup filled with MFS faves) and a nearly-as-enticing "pure dance set" on Friday (including performances from Ice Cream the awesome vogue crew House of Monroe).

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Wavelength 598: "M for..." (feat. Mozart's Sister / Mas Aya / Maicamia / Mannerisms / Moonwood) / The Garrison 2014-05-07 (Wednesday) [more info]

Ronley Teper's Lipliners / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-07 (Wednesday)

The Cluttertones / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-08 (Thursday)

Thin Edge New Music Collective: Onomatopoeia (feat. GREX / Thin Edge New Music Collective) / Array Space 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [more info]

Dog Gone Presents: "Love Saves The Day" (feat. Minotaurs Oath / Devonian Gardens / Genital Hospital) / Smiling Buddha 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

Madic Records Showcase (feat. AroarA / Sandro Perri / Astral Swans / Veda Hille) / Cameron House 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

King Khan & BBQ Show (Thomas D'Arcy Band / catl / Green Rays) / The Garrison 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [more info]

Operators (Strands [feat. Jasmyn Burke of Weaves] / Praises [feat. Jessie of Beliefs] / Omhouse / Red Mass) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

Jerusalem In My Heart (Steve Kado) / The Music Gallery 2014-05-09 (Friday) [more info]

Blue Moss Ensemble ["new works for period instruments"] / Canadian Music Centre 2014-05-09 (Friday) [FB event]

Silent Shout (feat. Operators / We Are Wolves / Petra Glynt / Nyssa / Pat Jordache / Sexy Merlin / New Zebra Kid/ Zoo Owl) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-09 (Friday) [FB event]

DIANA presents GET HIGH (feat. Ice Cream / House of Monroe / DIANA ["pure dance set"]) / The Drake Underground 2014-05-09 (Friday) [FB event]

National Drone Day – Toronto (feat. Hoover Party / Panic Engines / Colin Fisher / Moonwood / Hobo Cubes / Man Made Hill / Mylar / Brian Schirk) / The Tranzac (Tiki Room) 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [more info]

Owen Pallett (Doldrums) / The Danforth Music Hall 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [more info]

Aurochs (Ali Berkok [solo]) / 90 Wellesley 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Hobo Cubes (Man Made Hill) [Pleasence/Healing Power double release party!] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Drone Alone (feat. Lorde Awesome / Cassandra Witteman / frAncIs / Girls Alone / Egyptrixx) / Mây 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Winchester Warm (Giant Hand) / Holy Oak Café 2014-05-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Kith & Kin's Spring Show / Church of St. Andrew by-the-Lake, Toronto Island 2014-05-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

The Final Crosswires (feat. Jim Storie Juniors / Bloody Narcissists / Underwater Landslides) / Handlebar 2014-05-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

Lina Allemano's Titanium Riot / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-05-11 (Sunday)

Nude as the News (feat. Sandro Perri / Ian Russell) / Holy Oak Café 2014-05-11 (Sunday) [more info]

CineCycle's Sounds & Silents presents a screening of L’Âge d’Or" aka The Golden Age [Luis Buñuel, 1930, France, 16mm, 63 minutes] (feat. live soundtrack by Red Lantern [Arthur Bull/David Lee/Tena Palmer/Bob Vespaziani]) / CineCycle 2014-05-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

Potty Mouth (Flea Bite / The Beverleys / Nicholas Doubleyou & The B Squad) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-05-12 (Monday) [FB event]

KASHKA (Etiquette / Rival Boys) / 3030 2014-05-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

All Toronto's Parties II: Daytime (feat. Isla Craig / Castlevania [members of Ketamines + Castle If] / Bong Water [Skull Bong + HVYWTR]/ Valerie Dour / Elrichman) / "Various locations throughout Kensington Market" 2014-05-24 (Saturday – matinée! PWYC!) [FB event]

All Toronto's Parties II: Nighttime (feat. Darlene Shrugg / Frisch Kind [Fresh Snow + Jamie Kidd] / Nature [members of Sexy Merlin + Man Made Hill + Ketamines + Seance Centre] / Abra Cadaver [Wolfcow + Bile Sister] / Wildlife Rodeo [Doc Dunn + Mike Smith]) / Comfort Zone 2014-05-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Kelp 20 (feat. The Acorn / Jim Bryson / Evening Hymns / Andrew Vincent / Andy Shauf / Chris Page / Andy Swan / Rhume / Flecton Big Sky) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-05-29 (Thursday) [FB event]

junctQín keyboard collective: FIVE / Gallery 345 2014-05-30 (Friday) [FB event]

Audiopollination 18.3 (feat. Chris Adriaanse/John Oswald/John Kamevaar / Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Michael Snow/Paul Dutton / CCMC) / Array Space 2014-05-31 (Saturday) [FB event]

Soupcans (Crosss / Kappa Chow / New Fries) / CineCycle 2014-06-06 (Friday) [FB event]

159 Manning BBQ 2014 – Part 1 (feat. Buck 65 / Bizzarh / Biblical / The Golden Dogs / BB Guns / Michael Rault / Ice Cream / The Pairs / Bouquet / Choir! Choir! Choir! / The Good Enough Live Karaoke Band / Almighty Dream Egg) / 159 Manning 2014-06-13 (Friday) [FB event]

The Shift ["radical filmmaking" with live music by Carol Gimbel & Music in the Barns Chamber Ensemble and LAL] / The Drake Underground 2014-06-17 (Tuesday) [FB event]