Recording: Babygirl

Artist: Babygirl

Song: Everything's Happening Without Me

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Babygirl - Everything's Happening Without Me

This charmingly-earnest dreampop crew closed out the night with a set of catchy heart-on-sleeve laments. Doing a good line in Alvvays-esque jangle, they were at their most intriguing when there were hints of a slightly more shaggy Sarah Records-type sound at the edges.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

Recording: Tashme

Artist:

Songs: What's It Worth? + 09/11/1973 + Charade + Vicio^*

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Tashme - What's It Worth? + 09/11/1973

Tashme - Charade + Vicio

The night's punkrock energy was supplied by this local hardcore unit, named after a WWII-era internment camp for Japanese-Canadians in British Columbia. Some of their songs are pushing against the loudfast template, with tempo shifts and "rock" breakdowns amongst their squealing punk velocity (which was supplied, somewhat incongruously, by an elegant-looking 12-string electric). Not too much social media for the band, but they have several demos worth of music to give away on their bandcamp.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

^* Thanks to the band for passing along the titles to these songs!

Recording: Jennifer Castle

Artist: Jennifer Castle

Songs: Tonight the Evening + You Can't Take Anyone

Recorded at The Garrison (Venus Fest Winter Solstice Celebration), December 21, 2017.

Jennifer Castle - Tonight the Evening

Jennifer Castle - You Can't Take Anyone

Jennifer Castle's solstice celebration, long a seasonal highlight, was co-presented this time 'round as part of Venus Fest's monthly concert series. A month after what was by all accounts a triumphant turn at Massey Hall, Jennifer Castle stripped things back for an intimate, round-the-campfire night of songs. Making a rare appearance on acoustic guitar, she was joined only by Paul Mortimer and Vic Cheong, pulling the audience into her new songs (as well as new arrangements of older ones). That still left plenty of terrain to explore, like in this set opener that roared out on the highway line with Cheong taking over on the coda. Wonderful stuff.

Recording: Aisha Sasha John

Artist: Aisha Sasha John

Poems: selections from I have to live

Recorded at The Garrison (Venus Fest Winter Solstice Celebration), December 21, 2017.

Aisha Sasha John - selections from I have to live

Jennifer Castle's solstice celebration, long a seasonal highlight, was co-presented this time 'round as part of Venus Fest's monthly concert series. Seizing the opportunity to present some intersectional/multidisciplinary vibes, this spoken word set from local poet Aisha Sasha John saw her read her work with dry humour concealing some barbed hooks. Like in Jennifer Castle's work, there was a porous boundary between chill-on-the-couch bon mots and cut-to-the-core existential quandaries. Leading with some new work in raw form (some of the lines ripped straight from her tumblr musings), she then read from last year's I have to live, considering how identity shifts from the ideal (and the idealized) with every real-world fact and compromise.

Recording: Ora Cogan

Artist: Ora Cogan

Song: Darling

Recorded at The Garrison (Venus Fest Winter Solstice Celebration), December 21, 2017.

Ora Cogan - Darling

Jennifer Castle's solstice celebration, long a seasonal highlight, was co-presented this time 'round as part of Venus Fest's monthly concert series. Opening the night was folky Montréal-via-Vancouver singer/songwriter Ora Cogan, whose exploratory lyrics and nimble guitar playing made her a sympathetic pairing with the headliner. Crickets, her new album (out on local label Hand Drawn Dracula) adds some synthy textures to the songs, but on stage she was accompanied only by a rhythm section, fighting to be heard by a crowd that beyond the first few rows was sadly uninterested in discovering something new. True heads know, though, so it was no surprise to see Castle at the side of the stage, head down, eyes closed, receiving the vibes.

Recording: The GGS New Music Ensemble

Artist: The GGS New Music Ensemble

Song: Ennea's Domein (2nd mvt) [composer: Robin De Raaff]

Recorded at Temerty Theatre (If:Iff - works for chamber orchestra and electronics), December 14, 2017.

The GGS New Music Ensemble - Ennea's Domein (2nd mvt)

Another night of intriguing works from the New Music Ensemble of the Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School, steered by the genial Brian Current. As always, the material was confidently tackled by the younger musicians, enhanced with some familiar faces from the wider New Music community (Darren Creech was on piano throughout, for example).

This concert saw a couple works incorporating live electronic elements: Kotoka Suzuki's "Dreams and Wandering" had some tasty ambient washes (added live by the composer) under parts of the score (a pleasing effect that could have been pushed even further), while James O'Callaghan's "IF:IFF" deployed electroacoustic misdirection in a manner that transcended cheesy over-the-topness with its dedication to dramatic performativity. This piece from Robin De Raaff, meanwhile, didn't use any electronic sounds but still had an algorithmic feeling, thanks to its rigourous three movements with three sections each, with the labour spread out amongst three times three musicians — the piece was "brought you by the number nine," joked De Raaff in his introduction.

Recording: Cluttertones

Artist: Cluttertones

Song: Gull

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, December 13, 2017.

Cluttertones - Gull

It was hard to believe that it'd been almost exactly two years since Rob Clutton had convened this same lineup of performers at The Burdock. Since that time, he's been extending the group's composition book, and getting ready to present the unit's second album. As such, it was no surprise that after warming up with old chestnut "Webbed", the rest of the set was newer material. Perhaps even more than the older pieces, it feels as if Clutton's compositions have a shape — say, expanding concentric circles on the surface of a smooth pond — more than a direction. But as the first album's bison, lions and ants are joined by bears and gulls, sometimes it's best to just float in place and watch.

Recording: Germaine Liu

Artist: Germaine Liu

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, December 13, 2017.

Germaine Liu - unknown

It was hard to believe that it'd been almost exactly two years since Rob Clutton had convened this same lineup of performers at The Burdock. As always, Germaine Liu was bringing new ideas to her percussive tools, and finding delightfully-complicated sounds in the simplest of objects. This set started with an extended examination of a string of bells before shifting to glockenspiel and drumkit on this piece (starting with some insistent typewriter-like pounding) and then onto some watery considerations.

[Germaine Liu will be joining in with the multi-limbed spectacle of Octopus Curls (with Allison Cameron, Stephen Parkinson, Nicole Rampersaud and Mark Zurawinski) at The Tranzac on Wednesday (January 24th).]

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

Recording: John Millard

Artist: John Millard

Song: Yes. Well.

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, December 13, 2017.

John Millard - Yes. Well.

It was hard to believe that it'd been almost exactly two years since Rob Clutton had convened this same lineup of performers at The Burdock. Just like that last time around, John Millard brought his banjo and a back pocket full of stories, letting his between-song banter dwell on incidents or images that'd then show up at supporting details to his main narratives. In off-handed ways like that, there's such a casual accretion of details in John Millard's songs that sometimes you don't notice the cagey craft right away.

Recording: Bitchin' Bajas

Artist: Bitchin' Bajas

Songs: Circles on Circles + No Tabac

Recorded at Smiling Buddha, December 12, 2017.

Bitchin' Bajas - Circles on Circles

Bitchin' Bajas - No Tabac

On a snowy Tuesday night with temperatures plunging, the hardiest deep-groove heads persevered to check in with this Chicago trio. Previously unknown to me, when I got the invite I assumed they'd be, like, a garage rock band — but that unindicative name is the only thing about this unit that wasn't sleek and elegant. Offering a sort of analog-bubblebath of planetarium vibes, this was the sort of music probably best experienced while sinking deep in your beanbag chair. Psychedelic prog-synth noodles with some nods to Terry Riley, there was even a Sun Ra cover in the mix as the band stuck mostly to tunes from their recent sprawling Bajas Fresh album.

Recording: ZONES

Artist: ZONES

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Smiling Buddha, December 12, 2017.

ZONES - unknown

This night of planetarium drift-bliss from Chicago's Bitchin' Bajas included some smartly-programmed local openers refracting some complementary sonics. Known for a certain kind of murky dub-groove, Derek McKeon has once again tinkered with his project's musical DNA, expanding back to a duo that now incorporates live percussion. That inevitably adds some propulsion to the proceedings, especially in the spots when the rototoms get thrown into the mix.

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

Recording: SlowPitchSound

Artist: SlowPitchSound

Songs: three sections^*

Recorded at Smiling Buddha, December 12, 2017.

SlowPitchSound - unknown #1

SlowPitchSound - unknown #2

SlowPitchSound - unknown #3

This night of planetarium drift-bliss from Chicago's Bitchin' Bajas included some smartly-programmed local openers refracting some complementary sonics. Turntablist Cheldon Paterson and dancer Libydo managed to evoke some imaginary landscapes to start the night, crossfading from abstract insect drones to bumpin' beats.

[SlowPitchSound will be taking part in Arraymusic's reactivated Rat-drifting series as part of a turntable workshop/performance on March 17th.]

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

Recording: Absolutely Free

Artist: Absolutely Free

Song: Geneva Freeport

Recorded at Polish Combatants' Hall SPK (Long Winter 6.2), December 9, 2017.

Absolutely Free - Geneva Freeport

I was sad to have missed this year's first Long Winter (at my home base of The Tranzac, no less!) but was pleased to see the series return to the SPK's mirrored bunker for another go-round. Using the downstairs dining room and the upper main hall, there was music back and forth all night — plus the usual mix of comedy, art and Vish Khanna's Long Night talk show. Showing off nearly a full set's worth of new material, a slight shift in approach saw the trio's keyboards mostly playing themselves, while the band were more focused on drums, bass and guitar. Compared to the days of yore that saw the group spend most of their time on stage hunched over electronics, this was definitely more rockin', in a dark disco kinda way.

Recording: YlangYlang

Artist: YlangYlang feat. Ashley Obscura / Anna Mayberry / Victoria Cheong

Songs: three unknown titles^*

Recorded at Polish Combatants' Hall SPK (Long Winter 6.2), December 9, 2017.

YlangYlang feat. Ashley Obscura - unknown

YlangYlang feat. Anna Mayberry - unknown

YlangYlang feat. Victoria Cheong - unknown

I was sad to have missed this year's first Long Winter (at my home base of The Tranzac, no less!) but was pleased to see the series return to the SPK's mirrored bunker for another go-round. Using the downstairs dining room and the upper main hall, there was music back and forth all night — plus the usual mix of comedy, art and Vish Khanna's Long Night talk show. In a marked contrast with the comedy show that immediately preceded it, Catherine Debard brought some quiet introspection to the night. Since I had seen her perform in the fall, her uncertain landscapes were set askew even further when her musical gear was stolen. The generosity of friends and fans has since allowed her to get going again, but this unique set saw her forced into a different approach, telling the crowd, "I asked friends of mine to send me poetry that I cut and pasted and added to this chunk of ambient music that I prepared for Long Winter, 'cause for me winter is an emotional, sad, isolating kind of thing." As she meditated and practised some yoga to the tracks, the crowd in the room was mostly indifferent, which meant that their lack of attention costed them an opportunity to recognize the voices of some amazing artists on her tracks. (The full roster included Allie Blumas and Georgia Webber as well as the ones here.) The beauty of this set wasn't fully apparent at the time, so it's worth presenting a larger dose than usual straight from the mixer so you can ruminate on these words and sounds while you look out a window at a frozen landscape.

^* Does anyone know the titles to these? Please leave a comment!

Recording: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Song: The Shark (mid-sized version) [excerpt]^*

Recorded at Polish Combatants' Hall SPK (Long Winter 6.2), December 9, 2017.

The Cosmic Range - The Shark (mid-sized version) [excerpt]

I was sad to have missed this year's first Long Winter (at my home base of The Tranzac, no less!) but was pleased to see the series return to the SPK's mirrored bunker for another go-round. Using the downstairs dining room and the upper main hall, there was music back and forth all night — plus the usual mix of comedy, art and Vish Khanna's Long Night talk show. Not quite the petit version and not quite the full-on prowling carnivore, this mid-sized vehicle was still a reliable groove machine, powered by Mike Smith's basslines, embroidered by comandante Doc Dunn (organ), Jonathan Adjemian (synth) and Max Turnbull (guit/keyb) and propelled by the percussive embroidery of Grasshopper, Brandon Valdivia and Kieran Adams.

^* Thanks to a commenter for noting this was a section of "The Shark".

Recording: LolaBunz

Artist: LolaBunz

Song: Real Hip-Hop

Recorded at Polish Combatants' Hall SPK (Long Winter 6.2), December 9, 2017.

LolaBunz - Real Hip-Hop

I was sad to have missed this year's first Long Winter (at my home base of The Tranzac, no less!) but was pleased to see the series return to the SPK's mirrored bunker for another go-round. Using the downstairs dining room and the upper main hall, there was music back and forth all night — plus the usual mix of comedy, art and Vish Khanna's Long Night talk show. The music downstairs started with this energetic set from the West End representin' LolaBunz, whose styles upon styles ranged from old school flow to some Yoruban-flavoured remix action to shimmeringly-menacing contemporary noir beats.

Recording: Kurt Marble

Artist: Kurt Marble

Song: Friend of Mine

Recorded at Polish Combatants' Hall SPK (Long Winter 6.2), December 9, 2017.

Kurt Marble - Friend of Mine

I was sad to have missed this year's first Long Winter (at my home base of The Tranzac, no less!) but was pleased to see the series return to the SPK's mirrored bunker for another go-round. Using the downstairs dining room and the upper main hall, there was music back and forth all night — plus the usual mix of comedy, art and Vish Khanna's Long Night talk show. Slowly expanding their glam-grunge template to encompass an amped-up take on sludge-psych, Kurt Marble + co. got the night rolling with some rock and roll abandon.

[Kurt Marble will be playing at Night 2 (the "rock" night) of the Wavelength Winter Festival on Saturday, February 17th at The Garrison alongside Odonis Odonis, Freak Heat Waves, Tough Age, and Luge.]

Recording: The Highest Order

Artist: The Highest Order

Songs: Carry On Warm [Fiver cover, feat. Michelle McAdorey] / Something On Your Mind [Karen Dalton cover, feat. Bria Salmena] / Working Man Blues [Merle Haggard cover, feat. Dallas Good and Andre Ethier] / Stop the World and Let Me Off [Waylon Jennings cover, feat. Dallas Good] / Shake The Dope Out [The Warlocks cover, feat Dan Burke, Calvin Brown + Richard Gibson]

Recorded at Lee's Palace (Dan Burke: 60 plus 20), December 8, 2017.

The Highest Order feat. Michelle McAdorey - Carry On Warm

The Highest Order feat. Bria Salmena - Something On Your Mind

The Highest Order with Dallas Good and Andre Ethier - Working Man Blues

The Highest Order with Dallas Good - Stop the World and Let Me Off

Party Wallet - Shake The Dope Out

Although things didn't feel exactly right, taking over Lee's Palace instead of packing The Silver Dollar, there were good vibes and all-star jams a-plenty at this night dedicated to Dan Burke, celebrating his 60th birthday as well as twenty years of promoting shows. Headliners The Highest Order went brought the biggest contingent of guest performers, enlisting a large roster of friends and collaborators (as well as an expanded band with Stew Crookes' pedal steel, Nick Kervin adding percussion and Vallens' Marta Cikojevic on keybs throughout the night). Michelle McAdorey added some backing vocals on a Fiver song that's been brought over to The Highest Order, as well as being backed by the band on her own "Disappearing Things". Jen Castle reprised her Gerry Rafferty jam with the group while Andre Ethier and The Sadies' Dallas Good sat in for a mini-set-within-the-set. With B-17's Calvin Brown and Richard Gibson joining in with Dan Burke for the grand finale, the band morphed into their alter-ego Party Wallet to close out the night.

Recording: Comet Control

Artist: Comet Control

Songs: The Cloud [Elevator cover, feat. Matt Mason] + The Love You Save [Joe Tex cover, feat. Andre Ethier + Yuri Didrichson]

Recorded at Lee's Palace (Dan Burke: 60 plus 20), December 8, 2017.

Comet Control feat. Matt Mason - The Cloud

Comet Control feat. Andre Ethier + Yuri Didrichson - The Love You Save

Although things didn't feel exactly right, taking over Lee's Palace instead of packing The Silver Dollar, there were good vibes and all-star jams a-plenty at this night dedicated to Dan Burke, celebrating his 60th birthday as well as twenty years of promoting shows. The special guests definitely made this set memorable, with Anagram/Surinam's Matt Mason adding a menacing edge to a driving version of Elevator's "The Cloud". And after that, things got as close to a Deadly Snakes reunion as you might be likely to see, with Comet Control's Chad Ross and Andrew Moszynski being joined by old comrades Andre Ethier and Yuri Didrichson, dedicating the Stones' "Hand of Fate" to Dan Burke as well as tackling this Joe Tex number.

Recording: Hooded Fang

Artist: Hooded Fang

Songs: Mama Pearl + You Don't Know How It Feels [Tom Petty cover, with Simone Schmidt + Scott Hardware]

Recorded at Lee's Palace (Dan Burke: 60 plus 20), December 8, 2017.

Hooded Fang - Mama Pearl

Hooded Fang with Simone Schmidt + Scott Hardware - You Don't Know How It Feels

Although things didn't feel exactly right, taking over Lee's Palace instead of packing The Silver Dollar, there were good vibes and all-star jams a-plenty at this night dedicated to Dan Burke, celebrating his 60th birthday as well as twenty years of promoting shows. Hooded Fang spent most of their set stretching out their grooves and highlighting the material from their Dynasty House EP, but in the spirit of the night, they brought out some special guests for a pass-the-mic tribute to Tom Petty.