Monday Roundup #261

Community notes:

• Exciting movie night! Luka Kuplowsky will be presenting Memory of Light, his study of The Cluttertones, "part observational documentary and part experimental-concert film", on Thursday evening (January 15th) at Innis Town Hall.

• On Sunday, February 22nd, The Punk Talks Series presents an afternoon with Mickey Skin and Linda Lee (of Canada's first all-female punk band, the Curse), and Cleave Anderson (who has been the drummer of a number of early Toronto and Hamilton punk bands, including the Battered Wives, Viletones, and Forgotten Rebels). Moderated by Liz Worth (author of Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond), tickets are $10 ("includes refreshments", and a post-event sildscreening workshop).

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Concert announcements:

Agnes [Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski/Rob Clutton] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-20 (Tuesday) [more info]

Experimental Link (feat. Sard / Raf Reza / Dastgâmachine) / BSMT 254 2026-01-23 (Friday). $22.60 (early bird)/$28.25 (1st release)/$33.90 (general admission), 19+. [FB event]

people | places | records Residency (feat. Cristina Lord / Nick Norton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Imaginary North and The Ambient PiNG present Ambient Afternoon (feat. Kilometre Club / Heart Map Ambient Ensemble / Daena Delam) / Society Clubhouse 2026-01-25 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10, all ages/family friendly [more info]

Discoveries Vol.8 with Musical Host Batuki Music (feat. Nii Osabu / Dipo / Sintayehu “Mimi” Zenebe & Abebe Fikade / David J. / Ruth Mathiang / Ṣẹwà) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-29 (Thursday). $21.82. [FB event]

The Ryan Driver Sextet [Moon CD release] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-30 (Friday) [FB event]

The Cross Sea [album release] (Praises / Isla Craig / Catholic Wilt) / The Baby G 2026-02-20 (Friday). $21.53, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic (feat. Ben Green / Gruve Collective / Ross Edmonds / LoHeadroom / Caspar Project / Antibes / fame diet / Inchoate / Extinction On Schedule / Giant Floating Head) / Handlebar 2026-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-14 (Wednesday) [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents Makam Nights (feat. Alejandro Franco Briones & Mehrdad Jafari Raad) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-15 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Mehdi Rostami / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-16 (Friday – early) [more info]

Long Winter 14.3 (feat. liz uninvited [album release] / Kai Samuels / bridge of sand. / 999ADJ) / It's OK* Studios 2026-01-16 (Friday). $PWYC ($20 advance tickets skip the line). [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Aiyun Huang / David Schotzko / Germaine Liu / Joe Sorbara / Mark Zurawinski / Mira Martin-Gray) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-16 (Friday). $pwyc

A Soulful Wintry Evening With Kurdish Kamāncha (feat. Shahriyar Jamshidi) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-01-17 (Saturday). $22.60 advance/$30 door. [FB event]

Our Full Selves (feat. ROSINX) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-17 (Saturday) [more info]

ur audio visual presents (feat. Heraclitus Akimbo [concert and lecture celebrating the release of I know what I have experienced and I know what it has meant to me, an album of music for solo lap steel guitar] / Charter of the Forest [Isla Craig/Karsten Stryker/Kurt Newman/Pete Johnston/Blake Howard]) / The Sun Room @ 918 Bathurst 2026-01-18 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Sonomadic Improv Presents: Singing with Freedom (Ayelet Rose Gottlieb [workshop] / K2 [Jonathan Kay & Kayla Milmine] / "Open Jam") / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-18 (Sunday). $PWYC, snacks included. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 13, 2019 at Array Space (Somewhere There Presents: Paul Newman at 55).

Paul Newman & Brian Abbott - Toad Cricket Lear [part 1]

• ...on January 16, 2019 at Burdock Music Hall.

Cluttertones - Leeways Part 4 + 5

• ...on January 17, 2019 at The Canadian Music Centre (Riparian Acoustics/CMC Presents).

Alex Samaras - Everybody Says Don't

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Cluttertones

Artist: Cluttertones

Song: Leeways Part 4 + 5

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, January 16, 2019.

Cluttertones - Leeways Part 4 + 5

A night of celebration of the new Leeways album, Rob Clutton and co. presented several of its pieces, including these two sections of the title piece that takes up the whole second half. In its recorded incarnation, the piece is filled out by Lee Pui Ming's piano and voice, leaving this stripped-down variation a bit of a rarity to hear. As always, though, Rob Clutton's pieces always leave plenty of room to spotlight his bandmates, so the space was well-used.

Recording: Cluttertones

Artist: Cluttertones

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), August 26, 2018.

Cluttertones - unknown

When Rob Clutton announced the band were going to play some new material, he didn't mean music from the group's about-to-be-released second album — it was quite literally new material, untitled and involving some quick group huddles and Q + A sessions before starting each piece.

Rob Clutton: "Any questions?"

Ryan Driver [looking at sheet music]: "What... do I do?"

Darker, dronier and not so immediately tuneful, the set started with quiet ambiance before blursting outwards. The little fragment heard here, for example, sounds like it's auditioning to be a remorseful (and slightly-menacing) music cue in a film.

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

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: Cluttertones

Artist: Cluttertones

Song: Bison

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, December 17, 2015.

Cluttertones - Bison

With the elusiveness and mysterious grace of an escaped buffalo herd, Cluttertones slowly pull apart at the loose fabric of Rob Clutton's songs without ever causing a rip. And then, like a blanket folded over on itself, points at the opposing ends can suddenly rest right up against one another.

[Cluttertones are playing at Ratio on Saturday January 16th, with Brodie West's Ways and Blunt Chunks.]

Six years/Six pack: Allison Cameron

MFS has turned six! My introductory thoughts on this landmark can be found here, but long story short: I asked some folks to pick some of their favourites to help me celebrate. Thought we were done? Not quite yet!

Today's list is from Allison Cameron — composer, improviser and sound-maker with "small amplified objects". She is the ringleader of "No Angels Dancing", one my favourite monthly shows. Come hang out at the Tranzac 1 to 3 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month.

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When Joe Strutt asked me to contribute to the six-packs I had no idea how difficult it was going to be. I mean choosing only six. There could be six hundred! Joe's blog is an incredible testament to Toronto's creative music scene. Thank you Joe for MFS! Hope you have sixty more years... ;)

Nick Kuepfer - unknown [excerpt]

Nick is a super good musician/composer probably a bit too under the radar at the moment. This Wavelength performance is one of the best live compositions period. Features some awesome work with old fashioned reel to reel tape players. Kudos to Joe for picking this one up (I had to miss the show unfortunately).

Thin Edge New Music Collective - Doors

Also couldn't make this one but what a nice collaboration with lots of good young musician-composers involved, including Nick Storring who curated it.

Doug Tielli - Riversea

This live in-store was great. I love Doug's singing and gnarly guitar solos. One of the great singer-songwriters we are lucky to have in Toronto. Great band too with Ryan Driver, Nick Fraser and Scott Peterson.

A Ryan Driver Quintet - I Never Knew

And speaking of Ryan Driver here is the exceptional RD xtet with the music of Toronto's one and only Stephen Parkinson (who also contributed to the evening with swooning wah-wah melodica solos). Lots of fave musicians in this band: Brodie West and Martin Arnold (not present this night), Michael Davison, Rob Clutton, and Blake Howard.

Brass Knuckle Sandwich - [excerpt from first piece]

Holy smokes this was a good duo! Brilliant idea from the folks at the Somewhere There Festival to put together Nicole Rampersaud (trumpet) and Marilyn Lerner (piano) for a wonderful improvised music set. Great musicians! Great Festival!

Cluttertones - Webbed

Can't say enough about the recent music of Rob Clutton! Excellent compositions for the Cluttertones and more recently with Randi Helmers (Rob's partner) giving us some stunning new songs for soprano and banjo. (I hope these will get posted!) Webbed is a slightly more ethereal tune from Rob in this offering also featuring the talents of Lina Allemano, Tim Postgate and Ryan Driver a.k.a. Cluttertones.

plus bonus baseball cap and glove:

THOMAS - unknown

Joe was right on about this one - a nice chance to see (and hear) Thom flashing his guitar skills!

No Angels Dancing - [excerpt from start of second set]

Crazy No Angels Dancing surrogate band with Germaine Liu, Chris Banks and Stephen Parkinson!

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You can always click on the tags below to look for more stuff from these artists. Has there been a half-dozen songs posted here that made an impact on you? If you'd like to get in on the action and make a list, feel free to send me an email: mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.

Six years/Six pack: Karen Ng

MFS has turned six! My introductory thoughts on this landmark can be found here, but long story short: I asked some folks to pick some of their favourites to help me celebrate.

Today's list is from Karen Ng, who I know as fantastic saxophone player (and also as a member of the Somewhere There collective, about whom you'll be hearing some more later today).

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The disclaimer found in the introduction is absolutely correct, this is blog completely about Joe Strutt. About a guy who loves his city and the music in it. A guy who will always pick the smaller venue when having to pick between several shows happening on the same night. A guy that we are so very lucky to have, someone with a huge heart and open ears. Happy b-day MFS, here's to many more. Thanks for being such an incredible human being. If only more of us were like you!

Eucalyptus - Windmill Will

Isla Craig - Messages

Thom Gill - Single Girls

The Cluttertones - Lion and Ant

Muskox - Muskox Jr.

Monk's Music - Pannonica

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You can always click on the tags below to look for more stuff from these artists. Has there been a half-dozen songs posted here that made an impact on you? If you'd like to get in on the action and make a list, feel free to send me an email: mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.

Recording: The Cluttertones

Artist: The Cluttertones

Songs: Marzo + Lion and Ant

Recorded at Double Double Land, January 31, 2015.

The Cluttertones - Marzo

The Cluttertones - Lion and Ant

A lovely, low-key evening at DDL to celebrate the release of the wonderful new Cluttertones' "otherworldly chamber music" album Ordinary Joy, available digitally or as a CD from Healing Power. The mix of tonalities might sometimes sound a little "cluttered" when they fall on the same note, but spread out on stage, Rob Clutton (bass/compositions), Lina Allemano (trumpet), Tim Posgate (guitar/banjo) and Ryan Driver (synth/voice) let the songs stretch out a bit, lending everything an unhurried airiness.

Recording: Cluttertones

Artist: Cluttertones

Song: Webbed

Recorded at The Tranzac - Main Hall ("The Second Annual Somewhere There Creative Music Festival" - Show 5), February 23, 2014.

Cluttertones - Webbed

Full review to follow. This ensemble's name makes more sense as a testament to double bassist Rob Clutton than as a stylistic declaration. In fact, though there was a bit of artfully-distributed noodling here, the most striking element was the range of textures that the versatile band would explore. Besides Clutton and Lina Allemano on trumpet, Ryan Driver switched between analog synth and piano (and did some singing to boot) while Tim Posgate added guitar and banjo.