Recording: Badge Époque

Artist: Badge Époque

Song: Badge Theme^*

Recorded at Jam Factory (Feast In The East 72), February 28, 2019.

Badge Époque - Badge Theme

The new-ish post-Slim Twig ensemble from Max Turnbull has quietly been building steam for a little while now (though there's still only one track online to hint at the project's sound), with Turnbull (on keyb) joined by Jay Anderson (drums), Chris Bezant (guit), Alia O'Brien (flute), Giosuè Rosati (bass), and Ed Squires (percussion). Pushing deeper into the Gainsbourg lounge-funk essayed in the Twig band's late era and adding some library music deep crate dives, this group is less "rock", and feels more suited for some sort of elegant nightclub where they could perform for a seated, cocktail-swirling crowd.

[Badge Époque will be headlining a stacked lineup at The Garrison on Saturday, May 11th, along with fellow travellers Isla Craig, Ice Cream, and Carl Didur.]

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

Recording: U.S. Girls

Artist: U.S. Girls

Songs: 28 Days + Mad As Hell

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), October 27, 2017.

U.S. Girls - 28 Days

U.S. Girls - Mad As Hell

This astounding set teasing new material from the newly-expanded U.S. Girls featured a band composed mostly of Doc Dunn's Cosmic Range (as well as The Sulks' Chris Bezant on guit and backing vocalists Kassie Richardson and Basia Bulat) who offered an astoundingly full "studio" sound. Besides opening and closing with some of the tracks they played on from the forthcoming In a Poem Unlimited album they also reinterpreted a series of older songs. Meg Remy balanced the lushness of the ten-piece backing band with sample montages that hearkened back to the project's origins as well as hinting at the seething anger underneath the songs. But it's too easy to just label this as feminist rage (a word that's right there in the title of the Fiver song covered on the new album) — there's a consideration of things that justly evoke anger, but there's also joy in the music as well, from the reggae-ish lilt the band accorded to "28 Days" as well as the ebullient disco of "Mad As Hell".

Remy was in full command throughout — no banter or asides were on offer in the tightly-constructed set, and instead of an encore, all she gave the crowd was a hand-on-hip "didn't I just do that?" glare before leaving the stage. With the release of the album now confirmed for February, this was a tantalizing glimpse of an artist operating at a high level — and expanding their ambitions to ever-higher plateaus.

Recording: The Sulks

Artist: The Sulks

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Wavelength Pop Up @ Huntclub Studios ("Wavelength 643"), February 7, 2014.

The Sulks - unknown

The last time I saw guitarist Chris Bezant in action, it was for something quite different than this brand new post-punk group (boasting members of Grounders, Fresh Snow and Neon Windbreaker) making its début. A.J. commented afterwards that their style was akin to "early Magazine covering Dick Dale", and there was definitely a heavy surf slant in the couple instrumentals the band offered.

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

Recording: Safety In Numbers

Artist: Safety In Numbers

Song: Caravan [composer: Juan Tizol]

Recorded at Christie Pits Park ("Bloor Ossington Folk Festival"), September 21, 2014.

Safety In Numbers - Caravan

Once again, the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival stayed true to its roots as a low-key and local celebration. By enfolding itself into the contours of Christie Pits, BOFF still feels casual and approachable, even with some heavy hitters in its lineup. As so often happens at outdoor events, weather forced organizers to make some adjustments on the fly, but even having to move the headliners into the beer tent served to reinforce the intimate vibes. There's room to grow, but overall the organizers are getting things right.

Despite its name, BOFF isn't genre-specific — its invocation of "folk music" is more in the sense that it belongs to and is played by, well, folks mostly from nearby, as well as making an implicit argument for the breaking down of barriers between performers and audiences. So it was no surprise to see quite a variety of music being played in the festival's beer tent, including this Django-fied hot music trio of Bob Stevenson (clarinet), Chris Bezant (guit) and Chris Kettlewell (of Maylee Todd's band, double bass). Tasty licks abounded as they ranged through a heap of standards (including this Duke Ellington classic), suitable for both the afternoon-beer-drinkin' set and kids-running-in-circles set.