Concert Listings Roundup #64

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:

The Draperies (Allison Cameron) / Ratio 2014-09-29 (Monday) [FB event]

Whenever guitarist Eric Chenaux, now resident in Paris, makes one his trips back to T.O., there's always a flurry of activity as his various groups squeeze in some quick reunions. Following up on a wonderful solo set opening for Jennifer Castle last week, he joins with Ryan Driver and Doug Tielli to reconvene this minimal rat-drift-y trio. Ratio should serve as a beneficial space for this set by a band that lends itself to quiet music demanding close listening.

[Bonus! I see that there's a Drumheller set listed at The Tranzac on Tuesday evening, so it looks like the Chenaux-fest will keep rolling. Oops — sources suggest this ain't so, sadly. It looks like this was a leftover artifact from before the originally-scheduled gig was rolled into the doubleheader with Ryan Driver on Friday last.]

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Buck 65 / Soundscapes 2014-09-30 (Tuesday – free in-store performance!)

Drumheller / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-30 (Tuesday)

EMA / The Drake Underground 2014-09-30 (Tuesday) [more info]

Thom Gill / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-10-02 (Thursday)

Wavelength 620 (feat. Bruce Peninsula / Del Bel / Delta Will) / SPK Polish Combatants Hall 2014-10-03 (Friday) [more info]

Feast In The East 41 (feat. U.S. Girls / Nature / Castle If) / Jam Factory Co. 2014-10-03 (Friday) [FB event]

Doctor Ew / Holy Oak Café 2014-10-03 (Friday) [FB event]

Police Des Moeurs (Human Performance Lab) / Double Double Land 2014-10-04 (Saturday) [FB event]

DAS RAD [LP Release!] (Toronto Homicide Squad / Teen Tits Wild Wives / Hangin Tuff) / Smiling Buddha 2014-10-04 (Saturday) [FB event]

Nuit Blanche: "Jazz Age Cinema with the Ryan Driver Quintet" / TIFF Lightbox 2014-10-04 (Saturday) [more info]

Nuit Blanche: Spectrum Music's Interface ["interactive sound installation/live musical performance" with a rotating crew of improvising musicians] / Artscape Youngplace 2014-10-04 (Saturday) [more info]

No Angels Dancing / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-10-05 (Sunday – matinée! 1 to 3 p.m.)

Monk's Music / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-10-05 (Sunday – matinée! 5 to 7 p.m.)

Harley Card Trio with Alex Samaras / Holy Oak Café 2014-10-05 (Sunday) [more info]

Nite Comfort (feat. nwodtleM / the One (family) / jefftheworld) / Handlebar 2014-10-05 (Sunday) [FB event]

Pony Girl (bEQUALSd / Spectrum Percussion) / Array Space 2014-10-05 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

Spectrum: Season Launch Party – Tell It Like It Is (feat. Nick Storring / Barnyard Drama) / Alliance Française de Toronto 2014-10-08 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Four Laureates and Friends ["an evening of poetry, music, and song presented to benefit the United Way of Toronto"] (feat. Dennis Lee / Pier Giorgio Di Cicco / George Elliott Clarke / Terry Burns) / Robert Gill Theater 2014-10-08 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Wavelength 621 (feat. Titus Andronicus / Ice Cream / Programm) / The Garrison 2014-10-09 (Thursday – $3 with RSVP!) [FB event]

New Fries [Fresh Face Forward tape release!] (Fan Fiction / Steve Kado / Few Horizzons) / 272 Geary Ave. 2014-10-10 (Friday) [FB event]

Legato Vipers [LV record release!] (The Histrionics / Harlan Pepper / Start Something) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-10-11 (Saturday) [FB event]

Lina Allemano's Titanium Riot [CD Release!] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-10-12 (Sunday) [more info]

Audiopollination #23 (feat. Diane Roblin/Jonathan Culp/Raphael Weinroth-Browne / cheryl o/Barry Prophet/Arnd Jurgensen / Adriana Monti/{AN} EeL / Kayla Milmine/bora x bora ) / Array Space 2014-10-14 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Sheezer / Lee's Palace 2014-10-30 (Thursday) [more info]

DEATH TO T.O. IV: A Halloween Covers Show (feat. The Soupcans [as The Jesus Lizard] / Burning Love [as Hot Snakes] / The Siilk Group [as The Doors] / Cellphone [as Metallica] / Members Of Phedre, Hooded Fang, Moon King And Hellaluyah [as Beastie Boys] / Dilly Dally [as U2] / Mexican Slang [as Babes In Toyland] / Sunset Pig (Andre Either) [as JJ Cale] / The BB Guns [as Primal Scream] / Members Of Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs And Gay [as E.L.O.]) / The Silver Dollar Room + Comfort Zone 2014-10-30 (Thursday) [FB event]

416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival (feat. King Weather / Nick Fraser/Rob Clutton/Brodie West / CA3) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-11-13 (Thursday) [more info]

416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival (feat. SonoRa / Kyle Brenders Ensemble / Birth of Troubling Forms) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-11-14 (Friday) [more info]

416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival (feat. Element Choir / Colin Fisher/Mike Gennaro / Toronto Improvisers Orchestra) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-11-15 (Saturday) [more info]

Naturale ["Violist Pemi Paull and percussionist David Schotzko perform duo works by Philip Glass, Luciano Berio and Ted Hearne, along with the world premiere of a new work by Linda Catlin Smith."] / Array Space 2014-11-19 (Wednesday) [more info]

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Community corner:

The promo bumf came down the tube the other day that submissions — or as they dryly note, the chance to submit — are now open for next year's NXNE. So maybe this is an opportune time for us — as musicians, as fans, as people who cover the festival, as people who put on shows — to reflect on what we're going to do about it.

There was a great deal of dissatisfaction that simmered to the surface last year that was focused into the "WHY NXNE SUCKS" panel/sideshow, and while community organization led to the abandonment of the radius clause, there are still some who feel that's not enough. There were conflicting reports that came out of the panel that NXNE was going to abandon its pay-to-play recruitment via Sonicbids, but the final stance is that the practice continues, although at a lower price.

So my question is: rather than waiting around for the festival to start and complaining anew, what can we do now? Should we be communicating to bands not to enter the Sonicbids lottery (to be one of merely 40% of the festival's bands that are selected that way)? Should bands not play the festival under any circumstances? Are labels/bookers thinking about not taking part in NXNE at all? Should grassroots media accept the festival's implied indifference and not cover it, even when it comes to supporting artists we want to support? Do we need to pay attention to the festival to have a good time? Discussion, please.

Update: NXNE has just posted an article explaining Why We Use Sonicbids.

[Meanwhile, let's direct ourselves to what's going on with TWiMFeST at the end of October. It's a joint effort from Two Way Monologues and The Indie Machine, who are positioning themselves as something of an anti-NXNE, promising "a new artist/fan-centred festival with no fees, no radius clause, and paid gigs for performers". The first wave of announcements included the likes of B.A. Johnston, Carnival Moon, Connoisseurs of Porn, Christian Hansen, Persian Rugs, and Sun Stone Revolvers. There's also many more that I don't know, but that's part of the point: I trust the ears-to-the-ground people behind this to have some unheard gems in there.]

Recording: Sacred Lamp

Artist: Sacred Lamp

Song: The Ark

Recorded at Grasshopper Records, August 24, 2014.

Sacred Lamp - The Ark

Full review to follow. Ayal Senior's partnership with Matt "Doc" Dunn in Sacred Lamp is pretty malleable, so it was no surprise to see them playing a casual Sunday afternoon in-store show in a cosmic quartet formation, joined by bassist Mike Smith and drummer Mike Gennaro. Their trio of languid jams shared a certain unforced (but never too abstract) feel that could have gone on drifting in a warm timeless void.

[Reminder: there'll certainly be some of that cosmic groove haze in the air when Dunn takes the stage with a different unit at the Music Gallery tomorrow night (Friday, September 26, 2014). Not to be missed!]

Recording: Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars

Artist: Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars

Songs: The Best Thing for Me / Au Contraire / Sweeter

Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, August 21, 2014.

Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars - The Best Thing for Me

Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars - Au Contraire

Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars - Sweeter

Full review to follow. The fifteen-year anniversary of Julie Doiron's collaborative album with Ottawa's Wooden Stars came with a short tour, giving Doiron a chance to dig back into a corner of her back catalog that doesn't always get dusted off in her other incarnations. The guitar interplay (such as the howlin' drone outro to "Au Contraire") brought a different, more precisely technical feel to Doiron's songs, though she sang with as much joy and spontaneity as ever. (There also seemed to be a lot of folks running into their circa-2000 friends, which might have accounted for a chattier crowd than you might have expected at a one-chance-to-hear-it event like this — you can hear them threatening to drown things out at the start of "Sweeter".)

Recording: Evening Hymns

Artist: Evening Hymns

Song: House of Mirrors

Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, August 21, 2013.

Evening Hymns - House of Mirrors

Full review to follow. Unlike last time I caught him, Jonas Bonnetta had longtime confederates Sylvie Smith and Jon Hynes in tow, but the setlist was filled with a lot of new songs for the old faces to play. The accent here was on the rockin' side of things, including on this presumably-future single with some great backing vocals.

Concert Listings Roundup #63

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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Gigs of the week:

Jennifer Castle [Pink City release celebration!] (Eric Chenaux / HVYWTR) / The Great Hall 2014-09-25 (Thursday) [more info]

Brandee Younger (Dr. Matthew Dunn and Co.) / The Music Gallery 2014-09-26 (Friday) [FB event]

Two shows that are surely worth invoking that overused trope: "spiritual". Jen Castle has been playing some of the songs on her brand-new Pink City pretty much since her last album came out, but now we can hear them on record in a fully-developed, beautifully-arranged form. As a bonus, local guitar hero (and now Parisian expat) Eric Chenaux is back in town for a while, and will be opening things up.

Meanwhile, Friday sees things get deep at the Music Gallery, with afro-futurist harp player Brandee Younger making her local debut, pushing the legacy of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane in fresh, contemporary directions. Key clincher: that night will be opened by Matt "Doc" Dunn, celebrating his All Is album in a rare full band show featuring Kieran Adams, Jonathan Adjemian, Carl Didur, Mike Smith and Brandon Valdivia.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Mark Segger Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-23 (Tuesday)

Henri Fabergé & The Adorables (The Bicycles / Dr. Ew) / The Embassy 2014-09-23 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Small World Festival Launch Party (feat. Os Tropies) / Small World Music Centre 2014-09-25 (Thursday – free!) [more info]

Cosi e Cosi [Jeunesse Cosmique Montréal] (Echo Beach / Manticore / Organdrum) / Double Double Land 2014-09-25 (Thursday) [FB event]

ZONES (Bad Channels / Poster Boy / Schønsee [Ami Spears + Scarlett Rose]) / Milk Glass 2014-09-25 (Thursday) [FB event]

"Meandering Streams of Consciousness" ["a synesthetic program of music, visual arts, and free improvisation"] (feat. Tom Preisler / Anoush Taba'i / Bea Labikova / Manuel A. Morales / Kousha Nakhaei / Avesta Nakhaei / Michael Lynn) / Array Space 2014-09-26 (Friday)

Drumheller [w/ Eric Chenaux!] (The Ryan Driver Sextet) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-26 (Friday)

Samesex [Beard Closet + Ken Park] (Mystic Triangle / St. Clair Kids [Ian M., ex-Ostrich Tuning – first show!]) / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-26 (Friday) [FB event]

Fucked Up (Vag Halen / New Fries) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-09-26 (Friday) [FB event]

Fucked Up (Alvvays / S.H.I.T.) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-09-27 (Saturday – matinée! all ages!) [FB event]

Susanna Hood + Scott Thomson: The Muted Note / Gerrard Art Space 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [more info]

Eschaton (Mike Gennaro + Ken Aldcroft / Beard Closet) / Ratio 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Sandro Perri / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-27 (Saturday)

Thom Gill / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [more info]

Wavelength 619 (feat. Wrong Hole / Lee Paradise / Several Futures [tape release!] / Shrines) / Handlebar 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

LaLa Brooks [of The Crystals!] with The Big Sound / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Wish (Anamai / Zones / Ken Park) / The White House 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Atsuko Chiba (Green Rays / Wild Highways / Hurricane & Able) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Fat As Fuck (Freepop / Bare Claws) / Soybomb HQ 2014-09-27 (Saturday – PWYC! Pre-Show Skate Party!) [FB event]

Ken Aldcroft/Mike Overton/Jake Oelrichs / The Rex 2014-09-28 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

King Weather / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-28 (Sunday)

Thin Edge New Music Collective presents Unusual Spectrum IV ["an eclectic evening of contemporary chamber music including works by Luigi Nono, Alex Mincek, and Chaya Czernowin and featuring special guest guitarist Nilan Perera performing improvisations for prepared guitar."] / Array Space 2014-09-28 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

Feast In The East 41 (feat. U.S. Girls / Nature / Castle If) / Jam Factory Co. 2014-10-03 (Friday) [FB event]

Darlene Shrugg (Cellphone / Chico No Face) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-10-10 (Friday) [FB event]

Chandra with Bile Sister (Sexy Merlin / New Chance) / Double Double Land 2014-10-17 (Friday) [FB event]

(weewerk)'s 13th Anniversary Party (feat. Art Bergmann [Songs For The Underclass EP release] / Tony Dekker / Two-Minute Miracles) / The Great Hall 2014-10-24 (Friday) [FB event]

Thee Oh Sees (Jack Name) / Danforth Music Hall 2014-11-23 (Sunday) [FB event]

Timber Timbre / Lee's Palace 2014-12-11–2014-12-13 (Thursday–Saturday) [more info]

Recording: Mellow Motel

Artist: Mellow Motel

Songs: Domino Biscuit [composer: Steve Swallow] + Vashkar [composer: Carla Bley]

Recorded at The Tranzac – Southern Cross Lounge ("Mike Smith August Residency, Week 3"), August 18, 2014.

Mellow Motel - Domino Biscuit

Mellow Motel - Vashkar

Full review to follow. It's forever a struggle to get crowds out for an early show, but I'm a big fan of the night's first timeslot down at The Tranzac. Start 'round 7:30, wrap up before ten, get home and in bed at a reasonable hour. So I was well-pleased to see that Mike Smith was taking over the early slot for four Mondays in August, each with different musical collaborators.

Allmusic calls Gary Burton & Steve Swallow's 1975 ECM album Hotel Hello "thoughtful background music with no real surprises or excitement"; Mike Smith calls it a classic. Putting that admiration into action, he strapped on his bass and drafted Michael Davidson (vibes) and Matt Newton (keybs) for a "mostly accurate recreation" of the album, snoozy in tone, but never suffocating with its figure-this-out-on-the-fly arrangements. There were some other selections delivered in a similar style as well, including a gorgeous rendition of John Cale's "Child's Christmas in Wales".

Recording: Comet Control

Artist: Comet Control

Song: The Soft Parade

Recorded at Vintage & Flea Outdoor Market (Wavelength 611: "Endless Summer Mini-Festival"), August 16, 2014.

Comet Control - The Soft Parade

Full review to follow. Closing out a full day of music, Comet Control had to overcome some adverse conditions when it became clear that the makeshift stage setup had too few circuits for too much gear (and lights and who knows what else) and the PA conked out a couple times. Drummer Jay Anderson kept things rolling as things were hurriedly fixed, and once the band got rolling it was a fitting and powerful way to finish things off.

[Comet Control are playing a free show tonight (Sept 19th) at Adelaide Hall, opening for Kevin Drew. RSVP/more info here.]

Recording: New Horizzzons

Artist: New Horizzzons

Song: Did You See Me?

Recorded at Vintage & Flea Outdoor Market (Wavelength 611: "Endless Summer Mini-Festival"), August 16, 2014.

New Horizzzons - Did You See Me?

Full review to follow. The sound of velvet tunics holding an arcane ritual. Not ones to be constrained by traditional formats, these is-this-a-joke provocateurs were celebrating the release of a new EP, which came as a download code packaged with incense.

Recording: Alpha Strategy

Artist: Alpha Strategy

Song: Heart of a Girl

Recorded at Vintage & Flea Outdoor Market (Wavelength 611: "Endless Summer Mini-Festival"), August 16, 2014.

Alpha Strategy - Heart of a Girl

Full review to follow. Celebrating their album release, Rory Hinchey and his crew cranked up the volume aimed out onto Dundas Street, showcasing their affection for Birthday Party/Gun Club-styled blast-offs, occasionally abetted by Hinchey's science-kit soundzworps.

[After a jaunt through the Baltics, Alpha Strategy will return to Toronto's stages on Saturday, October 18 at Handlebar.]

Concert Listings Roundup #62

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:

Bloor Ossington Folk Festival (feat. Surinam / Lunchmeat / LICE / Terror Lake) / Bassline Music Bar 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Bloor Ossington Folk Festival (feat. Brendan Canning / AroarA / The Highest Order / Army Girls / Artie Roth / Baby Eagle / Will Kidman / The Lonely Parade / Alistair Christhl / Chug Bucket / The Idaho Stop) / Christie Pits Park 2014-09-20 (Saturday – free!) [more info]

Bloor Ossington Folk Festival (feat. Julie Doiron and the Wrong Guys / Fiver / Eamon McGrath / Lily Frost / Shotgun Jimmie / José Contreras / Pink Moth / Heavy on the Willie / Safety in Numbers / Nick Teehan / The Jarl Anderson Experience) / Christie Pits Park 2014-09-21 (Sunday – free!) [more info]

I like the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival because they use "folk" in the same way I like to — not as a style of music, but as a certain type of relationship to music that's local and participatory. It's the music by and for the people right here. They've been tending to the festival as carefully as the vegetables just over in the community plots in Christie Pits, letting things grow at their own pace. This is a casual event, with two days of music outside on two stages and a boppin' beer garden. There's also a trio of inside shows to kick things off on Friday — the louder one with guitars at Bassline is my pick.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

The Young (B-17 / Grey Lands) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-09-15 (Monday) [FB event]

Diane Cluck (Jordaan Mason) / The Music Gallery 2014-09-16 (Tuesday) [more info]

Kid Congo & The Pink Monkeybirds (Henri Faberge & The Adorables / The Holy Gasp) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-09-16 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Josh Cole/Brodie West/Nick Fraser / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-17 (Wednesday)

Kyle Brenders Quartet (Transcombobulation) / Ratio 2014-09-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Persian Rugs [This is OK for Now release party!] (Wanderbirds) / The Boat 2014-09-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

"HIT IT" (feat. Naomi Punk / Jimmy Whispers / Blonde Elvis) / Double Double Land 2014-09-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

D U S T / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-19 (Friday – early!) [FB event]

Beta Frontiers (BART [members of The Elwins/Hooded Fang/Ruby Coast] / Gregory Pepper & His Problems / Uncut) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Ava Luna (Celestial Shore / Omhouse) / Milk Glass Co. 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

FRUITS (feat. New Chance / Blunt Chunks / Doom Tickler) / Double Double Land 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Kevin Drew (Comet Control) / Adelaide Hall 2014-09-19 (Friday – free with RSVP) [more info]

Toy Piano Composers: Pandora's Box / The Music Gallery 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Ali Berkok (Clutton/Liu/Pruden) / Array Space 2014-09-20 (Saturday)

Shonen Knife (Habibi / Mexican Slang / BB Guns) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

The Junction Music Festival (feat. The Sadies / The Beauties / Teenage Kicks / Chameleon Project / Bard From The Club / Sun K / Beams / Ginger Grey / Whiskey Jack / Rambunctious / Ark Analog / Paradise Animals / Omhouse / Tails / KASHKA / Two Koreas / Hands & Teeth / Alright Alright / many more) / various locations in The Junction 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [more info]

LOOM (Kira May) / The Belljar Café 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Kahuna [tape release!] (Whimm / Zones / Boat Culture) / La Revolucion 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Guerilla Toss (Toronto Homicide Squad / PC Worship / Connoisseurs Of Porn / Rotzig) / Milk Glass Co. 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Alaniaris / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-21 (Sunday – matinée! 3 p.m. start)

"Grand Festival of Autumnal Happiness" (feat. John Oswald's somewhat large acoustic improvising ensemble / Aaron Lumley [solo bass]) / St Andrew's by-the-Lake Anglican Church 2014-09-21 (Sunday — matinée!) [FB event]

Riverrun / Gerrard Art Space 2014-09-21 (Sunday – matinée!) [more info]

Hat & Beard / The Rex 2014-09-21 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

The Queer Songbook Orchestra: Play Songs from In and Around the Closet / The Music Gallery 2014-09-21 (Sunday) [more info]

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Add these to your calendar:

Mark Segger Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-23 (Tuesday)

ZONES (Bad Channels / Poster Boy / Schønsee [Ami Spears + Scarlett Rose]) / Milk Glass 2014-09-25 (Thursday) [FB event]

"Meandering Streams of Consciousness" ["a synesthetic program of music, visual arts, and free improvisation"] (feat. Tom Preisler / Anoush Taba'i / Bea Labikova / Manuel A. Morales / Kousha Nakhaei / Avesta Nakhaei / Michael Lynn) / Array Space 2014-09-26 (Friday)

Drumheller [w/ Eric Chenaux!] (The Ryan Driver Sextet) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-26 (Friday)

Susanna Hood + Scott Thomson: The Muted Note / Gerrard Art Space 2014-09-27 (Saturday) [more info]

The Draperies (Allison Cameron) / Ratio 2014-09-29 (Monday) [FB event]

Dan'l Boone [Neil Hagerty/Nate Young/Alex Moskos/Charles Ballas] (New Fries / Tranz Defonce) / The Silver Dollar Room 2014-10-06 (Monday) [FB event]

"The 4 Poets Magazine Launch" (feat. musical performances by LOOM / Zoë Alexis-Abrams with David Jones) / The Magpie Taproom 2014-10-08 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Toronto Friends of Refugees: 2nd Annual Community Jam (feat. Waleed Kush African Jazz Ensemble / Ruth Mathiang / Samba Elégua / Solar-C) / Lula Lounge 2014-10-08 (Wednesday) [more info]

Hermit Thrushes (Clarinet Panic / Slime) / Ratio 2014-10-12 (Sunday – "special Thanksgiving show including an orphan Thanksgiving dinner!") [FB event]

Dilly Dally [7" Release Show!] (Army Girls / Wish / Bad Channels) / S.H.I.B.G.B.'s 2014-10-17 (Friday) [FB event]

Work/Death (Gordon Ashworth / Manticore / Beard Closet) / Ratio 2014-10-26 (Sunday) [FB event]

The Horseshoe Tavern's 67th Birthday Celebration (feat. The Hold Steady) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-12-10–2014-12-13 (Wednesday–Saturday) [more info]

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Bandcamp corner:

I've been a big fan of local C-86'ers Persian Rugs ever since "Always All" dropped a couple years back — and now the band's long-awated full-length is seeing the light of the day. You can check it out now, plus you can celebrate the occasion at the band's release party at The Boat on Thursday.

Concert Listings Roundup #61

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:

Teenanger [EP LP Record Release show] (Crosss / The Beverleys) / The Garrison 2014-09-12 (Friday) [FB event]

Accuse 'em of "maturity" if you must, but a continually-widening sonic palette looks damn good on these veteran garage-punks. And live, they'll never be less than ferocious, so it's well worth coming out to celebrate their new record — stellar supporting cast as well.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

New Music 101: Toy Piano Composers and the Bicycle Opera Project / Toronto Reference Library – Hinton Learning Theatre 2014-09-08 (Monday – free! casual!)

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / Emmet Ray 2014-09-08 (Monday) [FB event]

Aurochs (w/ special guest Daniel Oore) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-09 (Tuesday – early!) [FB event]

Audiopollination #22.1 (feat. Paul Newman/Aldwyn Hogg Jr./Peter Lutek / Elliott Fienberg/Aisha Sasha John / Shahriyar Jamshidi Kamanche/Raphael Weinroth-Browne / Phookie Nijjit/Nodoubt Fersure) / Array Space 2014-09-09 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Rich Aucoin [Ephemeral Toronto Release Party] / The Drake Underground 2014-09-09 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Sloan / The HMV Underground 2014-09-09 (Tuesday) [FB event]

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-10 (Wednesday – early!) [FB event]

Array Sessions Season Kickoff (feat. Robert Appleton/Edwin Huizinga/Ted Phillips/Rick Sacks) / Array Space 2014-09-10 (Wednesday) [more info]

Ami Dang (Petra Glynt / Slag Ralden / Fresh Flesh) / Double Double Land 2014-09-10 (Wednesday) [FB event]

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / The Rex 2014-09-11 (Thursday – early!) [FB event]

The Living Daylight Stringband / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-11 (Thursday – early!) [more info]

Robyn Hitchcock / The Drake Underground 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [more info]

Monomyth (Nap Eyes / New Fries / Deliluh) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [FB event]

Casual Drones 3 (feat. Mikey Crichton / Mike Ambercrombie / Adrian Cook & Sylvain Chaussée / Josh Van Tassel / Gabe Knox / Brendan Canning / Jesse Laderoute) / Milk Glass Co. 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [FB event]

5th PROJEKT (Moonwood / Norway) / The Painted Lady 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [FB event]

Robyn Hitchcock / The Drake Underground 2014-09-12 (Friday) [more info]

Aaron Leaney's Bord à Bord Trio (Aldcroft-Banks-Oelrichs) / The Imperial Pub 2014-09-12 (Friday)

Wavelength 615 / Construction Vol. 8 (feat. WTCHS / Hollowphonic / Pink/Brown / Sasha Chapin) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-12 (Friday – all ages!) [FB event]

Audiopollination #22.2: Montreal meets Toronto (feat. Raphael Foisy-Coulture / Evan Tighe/Nicole Rampasaud/Michael Kaler / Aaron Leaney / Raphael Foisy-Coulture/Evan Tighe/ Aaron Leaney) / Array Space 2014-09-13 (Saturday) [FB event]

catl. (Bradleyboy) / Dakota Tavern 2014-09-13 (Saturday) [FB event]

Robyn Hitchcock / The Drake Underground 2014-09-13 (Saturday) [more info]

Pneuma Ensemble ["a new concert of 11th-14th century music"] / Majlis Art Garden 2014-09-13 (Saturday) [FB event]

Wavelength 616 (feat. Animal Faces / C T Z N S H P / WHIMM / Zords) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-13 (Saturday) [FB event]

5th Annual Toronto Bicycle Music Festival (feat. Willow Rutherford / Rambunctious / Charlotte Cornfield / Communism / Maylee Todd + more) / Allen Gardens/Nathan Phillips Square/Christie Pits Park + bike-bourne points between!2014-09-14 (Sunday) [FB event]

Hat & Beard / The Rex 2014-09-14 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

Somewhere There presents: The Second Sunday of September (feat. Ryan Brouwer's Improv Wind Ensemble, conducted by Christine Duncan / Margarita Night [Spencer Cole/Colin Fisher/Thom Gill]) / Array Space 2014-09-14 (Sunday) [FB event]

Going Forward: A fundraiser for Sistering (feat. Fin / Tonkapuma / BB Guns / Blonde Elvis / more TBA + Girls' Art League workshop / clothing drive / Stephanie Guthrie talk + daytime performances by Pins & Needles + Unfinished Business!) / The Garrison 2014-09-14 (Sunday – All ages! Daytime front room activities! night time back room rockin'!) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

Kyle Brenders Quartet (Transcombobulation) / Ratio 2014-09-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Ava Luna (Celestial Shore / Omhouse) / Milk Glas Co. 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Bloor Ossington Folk Festival (Surinam / Lunchmeat / LICE / Terror Lake) / Bassline Music Bar 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

FRUITS (feat. New Chance / Blunt Chunks / Doom Tickler) / Double Double Land 2014-09-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Guerilla Toss (Toronto Homicide Squad / PC Worship / Connoisseurs Of Porn / Rotzig) / Milk Glass Co. 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Wavelength 620 (feat. Bruce Peninsula / Del Bel / Delta Will) / SPK Polish Combatants Hall 2014-10-03 (Friday) [more info]

Long Winter: Bloor Cinema Takeover (feat. screenings of Depeche Mode - The Posters Came From The Walls, Alan Vega, just a million dreams, The Fire Flies, sounds by Doomsquad, live soundtrack by Not the Wind, Not the Flag, Long Night With Vish Khanna, more) / The Bloor Cinema 2014-10-11 (Saturday) [FB event]

Stüka (New Zebra Kid / Bile Sister) / Milk Glass Co. 2014-10-25 (Saturday) [FB event]

Tanya Tagaq (Doomsquad) / Rivoli 2014-11-06 (Thursday) [more info]

Recording: Light Fires

Artist: Light Fires

Song: Bumble Bee [Meryn Cadell cover]

Recorded at SummerWorks Festival – Lower Ossington Theatre Cabaret ("Do I Have To Do Everything My Fucking Self?"), August 15, 2015.

Light Fires - Bumble Bee

Get fabulous! Remounting and revamping a production that originally debuted at this year's Rhubarb Festival, Regina took over the L.O.T.'s cabaret space for a multi-night run. The show mixed songs, poems, and sassy talk, just as the presentation was a mix of sophisticated glamour, D.I.Y. moxie and a boy standing in front of the mirror, modelling his mother's scarf while his parents are away.

Director Adam Lazarus did an admirable job of stripping away any distractions, keeping the focus on the star on stage. Topics ranged from farmers' markets, to Meryn Cadell, to Charlie's Angels and beyond, as the borders between Regina and creator Reg Vermue dissolved away during reminiscences about growing up in Guelph. This was fun and energetic throughout, never losing momentum. Long may Regina reign!

Recording: The Bicycles

Artist: The Bicycles

Songs: Discovery + Yessir

Recorded at SummerWorks Festival – Lower Ossington Mainspace ("Young Drones"), August 15, 2015.

The Bicycles - Discovery

The Bicycles - Yessir

A commanding return for The Bicycles' rock opera, which made its debut at last year's festival. These Mark II drones were a bit more streamlined than their predecessors — the production stripped away the dance element and brought John Southworth in to act as a narrator, helping to tighten the focus on the story. Amy Siegel's excellent live animation remained at the heart of the presentation, and even that had a few tweaks, including the addition of a lovable sidekick.

None of that would work, however, if the music didn't stand up — and as the release of these songs on a soundtrack album shows, this is some of the best stuff the Bikes have even done. From last year to this, a very exciting example of what can happen when artists are given a challenge and a stage to develop new ideas.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Songs: unknown^* + Saddest Laugh

Recorded at Jam Factory ("Feast In The East 40"), August 14, 2014.

Fiver - [unknown]

Fiver - Saddest Laugh

Full review to follow. Closing out the night, this set found Simone Schmidt in solo mode, mixing a few newer songs among older ones from her songbook — no surprise at all from a perpetually hard-working musician whose setlists never stay the same for too long.

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

Recording: Wyrd Visions

Artist: Wyrd Visions

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Jam Factory ("Feast In The East 40"), August 14, 2014.

Wyrd Visions - unknown

Full review to follow. Before moving on to his slowly-unfurling guitar-based numbers, Colin Bergh began his set with this a cappella piece. When he says "fuck the world" he means it in a romantic way — I think.

^* The title to this one seems obvious enough, but does anyone have a line on any official word? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Tasseomancy

Artist: Tasseomancy

Song: Wiolyn^*

Recorded at Jam Factory ("Feast In The East 40"), August 14, 2014.

Tasseomancy - Wiolyn

Full review to follow. It's quite fascinating to watch Tasseomancy continue to evolve — while Sari and Romy Lightman continue to be the driving spirits behind the project, growing roles for drummer Evan Cartwright and keyboard player Johnny Spence are expanding the sonic possibilities. This one has a witch-y Stevie Nicks sort of feel, which is then taken in an inneresting direction by Cartwright's spoken bridge.

^* Thanks to a commenter for passing along the title to this!

Recording: Black Walls

Artist: Black Walls

Song: PTSD

Recorded at Jam Factory ("Feast In The East 40"), August 14, 2014.

Black Walls - PTSD

Full review to follow. This instalment of the Feast in the East series matched tasty vegetarian tacos with a quartet of bands that all went down well in seated, quiet contemplation. In fact, I went one better for Ken Reaume's set, leaning back in restful repose as his carefully-constructed songs unwound their way into my subconsciousness. This song is the centrepiece of his new Communion — and you can also can experience a different take on its slow seep in a new remix by Nadja's Aidan Baker.

Recording: The Water Thief Ensemble

Artist: The Water Thief Ensemble

Song: [excerpt from a live soundtrack]

Recorded at SummerWorks Festival – St. John's Polish National Catholic Cathedral, August 13, 2014.

The Water Thief Ensemble - [excerpt]

This "audience-immersive spectacle" from Amy Siegel and Sean Frey was a sensation at this year's SummerWorks Festival, presenting a sort of dream-fable through a combination of pre-recorded video, projections, shadow puppetry and a live score. These were used to tell the tale of an unspeaking old man, the last resident in an abandoned seaside village who spends his days honouring the memories of his departed neighbours and tending to the title's water-powered clock. With so many evocative elements, no dialogue was required. This one lingered in my spirit well past the show's end, and I'm sure I won't be the only one calling for a re-mount.

The musical side was just as magical as the imagery. Under the direction of Snowblink's Daniela Gesundheit, the ensemble included her musical partner Dan Goldman (joining her on vox and guit), percussionist Evan Cartwright (also of Tasseomancy and Omhouse) as well as vocalist Alex Samaras. But the real discovery here was Taylor Nelles-McGee's evocative violin work. Gesundheit pulled not only from her work with Snowblink (one cue was an instrumental re-working of "Pray For Surf") but also her liturgical efforts and her explorations in interspecies communication. A wonderful production, imbued throughout with a sense of ritual, mystery and a sense that we, too, may be remembered someday in ritual, in mystery, in song.

Recording: Transcombobulation

Artist: Transcombobulation

Song: Fourth

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Mike Smith August Residency, Week 2), August 11, 2014.

Mike Smith's Transcombobulation - Fourth

Full review to follow. It's forever a struggle to get crowds out for an early show, but I'm a big fan of the night's first timeslot down at The Tranzac. Start 'round 7:30, wrap up before ten, get home and in bed at a reasonable hour. So I was well-pleased to see that Mike Smith was taking over the early slot for four Mondays in August, each with different musical collaborators.

Week two took Smith's new compositions out for a trip to the planetarium, presenting them in dual synth mode in company with Jonathan Adjemian. There was some fine noodling to be heard here — this one even veers a bit into revered SID chip demo territory. [Once again, you can hear some more from this night over at Smith's soundcloud.]

Also! Transcombobulation lives! This duo will be performing again (along with the Kyle Brenders Quartet) at Ratio on Thursday, September 18th.

Recording: Weaves

Artist: Weaves

Song: Closer

Recorded at SummerWorks – Lower Ossington Theatre Mainspace ("Weaves Through Time"), August 10, 2014.

Weaves - Closer

Full review to follow. Weaves' shows have been building up in spectacle and theatricality, so it was rather exciting to see things kicked up to the next level for this SummerWorks event, thanks to work by choreographer Allison Cummings and set designer Hanna Puley. With flower-creatures dangling from the ceiling, the environment suggested an earthy fecundity, while the strands extending from Jasmyn Burke's luminescent hoop-dress were like the hands of a giant timepiece — a biological clock, if you will, the stands getting just as entwined and wrapped up in each other as they do in our own lives. The accompanying dancers' motions suggested death and rebirth and by the end, the audience was called down from the stands to mix in freely with them.

Musically, the night was equally impressive, with the band mixing in even more new material than we've been hearing at recent shows. Guitarist Morgan Waters impressed as always, pulling out funky squawk-bursts that often doubled Burke's vocals. Perhaps appropriate to the environs, this felt like the birth — or the blooming — of something very vital. (And for those who like to track the growth of our local artists through time, this was a wonderful chance to compare how much things have changed since the previous time Burke played this very same room at SummerWorks, four years ago.)

[N.B.: Weaves will be playing Wavelength's free Island Show, this Sunday (Sept. 7th) at Artscape Gibraltar Point.]

Bonus! Here's some video footage to give you a sense of what was going on here beyond the musical element:

Concert Listings Roundup #60

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:

INTERsection: New Music Marathon and Musicircus (feat. Sidewalk Crusades / Spectrum / New Adventures in Sound Art / junctQín keyboard collective / Haphazard Hinges [25 saxophones!] / Evan Ziporyn & Contact) / Yonge Dundas Square 2014-09-06 (Saturday) [FB event]

Some people remain conceptually dubious about taking a day's worth of avant garde/creative/"new music" and plunking it in the city's Canyon of Craven Commercialism, but there's a weird alchemy that happens when the sorts of sounds that are often cloistered in small, obscure spaces is imposed on the city — somehow, it fits right in. Some people will walk by without doing more than turning their head, some will stop in confusion or annoyance, and a few will pause as if to say, "oh yeah, this is cool". An erratic and random day, this actually turns YDS into something of a peaceful island in the middle of the bustle, and is always a memorable occasion.

[As noted below, the day outside is flanked by a couple indoor shows at the Tranzac and Music Gallery, making for a full end-of-summer/start-of-the-new-music-season festivities]

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This week's noteworthy shows:

Ashkenaz Festival (feat. Lemon Bucket Orkestra / David Buchbinder's Odessa/Havana) / Harbourfront Centre, W------ Stage 2014-09-01 (Monday) [more info]

Thom Gill / The Emmet Ray 2014-09-01 (Monday – PWYC!) [more info]

Zeus [Classic Zeus "Secret Back Alley Show"] / June Records 2014-09-02 (Tuesday) [FB event]

The Wooden Sky / Sonic Boom (Annex) 2014-09-02 (Tuesday) [FB event]

AIMToronto Curation Series (feat. duos, trios and quartet w/ Alan Bloor/Matt Miller/Ted Phillips/Bob Vespaziani) / Musideum 2014-09-02 (Tuesday) [FB event]

CelloPhone presents Boats and Balloons [new music for cello and saxophone] / Heliconian Hall 2014-09-03 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Ronley Teper's Lipliners / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-03 (Wednesday)

AGO First Thursdays (feat. Bry Webb / The Weather Station) / Art Gallety of Ontario 2014-09-04 (Thursday) [more info]

Man Finds Fire Presents: Sound Seance II (feat. Sir Richard Bishop / Tashi Dorji / Clara Engel) / Geary Lane 2014-09-04 (Thursday) [FB event]

ANAMAI (Black Walls) / The Press Club 2014-09-04 (Thursday) [FB event]

DJ Breezes w/ Gloctor Glock (Brigitte Bardon't) / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-04 (Thursday) [FB event]

TIFF Festival Street (feat. Elaquent / Maylee Todd / Rich Aucoin / Adrian X) / The Steve and Rashmi Gupta Family Stage 2014-09-04 (Thursday – free!) [more info]

The Muted Note [Choreography: Susanna Hood / Music: Scott Thomson / Poet: P.K. Page] / The Citadel 2014-09-05–2014-09-07 (Friday–Sunday) [more info]

The Music Gallery's Departures series (feat. Battle Trance / Not The Wind Not The Flag / King Weather) / Array Space 2014-09-05 (Friday) [FB event]

INTERsection (feat. Toy Piano Composers Ensemble / Thin Edge New Music Collective / Kyle Brenders Quartet / junctQín keyboard collective) / The Tranzac 2014-09-05 (Friday) [FB event]

TIFF Festival Street (feat. Eon The Soul Proprietor / Reuben And The Dark / Bobby Bazini / DIANA / BADBADNOTGOOD) / The Steve and Rashmi Gupta Family Stage 2014-09-05 (Friday – free!) [more info]

Street Reiki (feat. Nick Persons / Teen Tits Wild Wives / Bile Sister) / Mây 2014-09-05 (Friday) [FB event]

Gates (Voidfolk) / S.H.I.B.G.B.'s 2014-09-05 (Friday) [FB event]

Void Vision (Votive [feat. Cam Findlay aka Kontravoid & Kat Duma] / Sahara) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-05 (Friday) [more info]

TIFF Festival Street: Pop-up Performance (feat. Bob Wiseman) / King Street King St. W. (north side, west of Simcoe St.) 2014-09-06 (Saturday – 2:30 p.m. free!) [more info]

Jad Fair & Norman Blake / The Cave 2014-09-06 (Saturday – early show!) [FB event]

B.A. Johnston (Strange Attractor / HotKid / Ketamines) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-06 (Saturday) [FB event]

TIFF Festival Street: Pop-up Performance (feat. Marker Starling) / King Street King St. W. (north side, west of Simcoe St.) 2014-09-07 (Sunday – 1:00 p.m. free!) [more info]

No Angels Dancing / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-07 (Sunday – 1 to 3 p.m.)

INTERsection: Terry Riley's "Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band" re-imagined (feat. Evan Ziporyn and Contact) / The Music Gallery 2014-09-07 (Sunday) [FB event]

See Through Trio [Tania Gill / Pete Johnston / Karen Ng] (The Imperative [Jay Hay / Karen Ng / Joe Sorbara]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-07 (Sunday) [FB event]

Hat & Beard / The Rex 2014-09-07 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

TIFF Festival Street (feat. Absolutely Free + Special Guests ["Re-Sounding The Films Of Norman McLaren"] / Jason Collett) / The Steve and Rashmi Gupta Family Stage 2014-09-07 (Sunday – free!) [more info]

Wavelength 614: WL Island Show (feat. Weaves / Fresh Snow / Most People / MATROX / "secret guests") / Artscape Gibraltar Point 2014-09-07 (Sunday – free! all ages!) [FB event]

Pregnancy Scares (TV Freaks / Pelvic Floor / The Soupcans) / S.H.I.B.G.B.'s 2014-09-07 (Sunday) [FB event]

Nite Comfort 12 (feat. Bong Water / Shamanta / Hardon Collider) / Handlebar 2014-09-07 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Add these to your calendar:

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / Emmet Ray 2014-09-08 (Monday) [FB event]

Aurochs (w/ special guest Daniel Oore) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-09 (Tuesday – early!) [FB event]

Rich Aucoin [Ephemeral Toronto Release Party] / The Drake Underground 2014-09-09 (Tuesday) [FB event]

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2014-09-10 (Wednesday – early!) [FB event]

Array Sessions Season Kickoff (feat. Robert Appleton/Edwin Huizinga/Ted Phillips/Rick Sacks) / Array Space 2014-09-10 (Wednesday) [more info]

The October Trio [Evan Arntzen/Josh Cole/Daniel Gaucher] — 10th Anniversary/Toronto Residency / The Rex 2014-09-11 (Thursday – early!) [FB event]

The Living Daylight Stringband / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-11 (Thursday – early!) [more info]

Monomyth (Nap Eyes / New Fries / Deliluh) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [FB event]

5th PROJEKT (Moonwood / Norway) / The Painted Lady 2014-09-11 (Thursday) [FB event]

Wavelength 615 / Construction Vol. 8 (feat. WTCHS / Hollowphonic / Pink/Brown / Sasha Chapin) / Smiling Buddha 2014-09-12 (Friday – all ages!) [FB event]

Hat & Beard / The Rex 2014-09-14 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

Persian Rugs [This is OK for Now release party!] (Wanderbirds) / The Boat 2014-09-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

The Junction Music Festival (feat. The Sadies / The Beauties / Teenage Kicks / Chameleon Project / Bard From The Club / Sun K / Beams / Ginger Grey / Whiskey Jack / Rambunctious / Ark Analog / Paradise Animals / Omhouse / Tails / KASHKA / Two Koreas / Hands & Teeth / Alright Alright / many more) / various locations in The Junction 2014-09-20 (Saturday) [more info]

Hat & Beard / The Rex 2014-09-21 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

Small World Festival Launch Party (feat. Os Tropies) / Small World Music Centre 2014-09-25 (Thursday – free!) [more info]

Cosi e Cosi [Jeunesse Cosmique Montréal] (Echo Beach / Manticore / Organdrum) / Double Double Land 2014-09-25 (Thursday) [FB event]

Samesex [Beard Closet + Ken Park] (Mystic Triangle / St. Clair Kids [Ian M., ex-Ostrich Tuning – first show!]) / Holy Oak Café 2014-09-26 (Friday) [FB event]

Fat As Fuck (Freepop / Bare Claws) / Soybomb HQ 2014-09-27 (Saturday – PWYC! Pre-Show Skate Party!) [FB event]

Ken Aldcroft/Mike Overton/Jake Oelrichs / The Rex 2014-09-28 (Sunday – 7 to 9 p.m.) [FB event]

The Reigning Sound (catl. / Pow Wows) / The Horseshoe Tavern 2014-10-25 (Saturday) [more info]

Doc Pickles Presents (feat. Walk North / Good Conduct / Bron Halpin) / Handlebar 2014-11-30 (Sunday) [FB event]

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Bandcamp corner:

I was a fan of Wish from the first time I saw 'em, merging familiar sounds from the Candle Studio-affiliated bands its members can otherwise be found in with guitarist/vocalist Kyle Connolly's own sensibility. Rockin' chrunch meets psychedelic jangle, this is recommended to anyone who loves Davis Kilgour's solo work (or, natch, his work with The Clean) — or anyone who's into those aforementioned component parts such as Beliefs, Breeze, or Milk Lines.