Monday Roundup #52

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Community notes:

• I note in passing this marks a year that I've been doing Monday dispatches in this format, so probably time to update the header a bit. Otherwise, no news to report in these cold + isolated times. I do recommend making the effort to call/text/message someone you haven't seen for awhile, even if you're feeling self-contained under your blankets.

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Livestream nation:

• Audiopollination returns on Friday (January 14th) with a duo performance from Bill Gilliam & Eugene Martynec (piano and computer-assisted electroacoustic sounds, respectively), streaming live from Array Space.

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 11, 2013 at The Great Hall ("Long Winter, Vol. 3").

Vag Halen - 20th Century Boy

S.H.I.T. - Eraser + Feeding Time

Light Fires - The Better

[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: Kiwi Jr.

Artist: Kiwi Jr.

Songs: Murder in the Cathedral + Wicked Witches

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

Kiwi Jr. - Murder in the Cathedral

Kiwi Jr. - Wicked Witches

It must be interesting times for this ascending local quartet — their debut album Football Money (whose terrain ranges from the Dufferin Mall to the New Ho King restaurant) came out in these parts nearly a year ago, but has recently gotten a worldwide re-release that'll keep these as "new" songs for further-flung audiences. But the band is showing no sign of fatigue with tunes that have formed the backbone of their repertoire for a few years now, still leaning into them with slacker intensity.

[Long Winter is back on Friday, February 21st, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

Recording: BBQ Pope

Artist: BBQ Pope

Song: Baby Face

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

BBQ Pope - Baby Face

Channelling the precocious attitude of bands like NOFX, BBQ Pope also showed some charm in the into to this song, reflecting on how Long Winter (when it was at home down the street in the Great Hall) was an inspiration to their younger selves — presumably they returned the favour and influenced some future performers in the audience.

[Long Winter is back on Friday, February 21st, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

Recording: Ichi-Bons

Artist: Ichi-Bons

Song: Susie Q [Dale Hawkins cover] + two unknown songs^*

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

Ichi-Bons - Susie Q + two unknown songs

Emerging from the Black Dice Cafe, Ichi-Bons are an atavistic rock'n'roll trio, stripping away decades of accumulated bloat and excess to find the joyous hollering heart of the rockabilly and surf sounds. Songs whiz by quick and fast, often instrumental or just requiring some elemental howls like you might hear from some slicked-back J.D.'s roaring by in a chrome-covered convertible.

[Ichi-Bons and Shook Boys are playing a Wild Valentines! this Saturday (February 15th) at The Dakota Tavern. Long Winter is back on Friday, February 21st, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

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

Recording: No Frills

Artist: No Frills

Song: Birthday

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

No Frills - Birthday

Perhaps taking cues from frontman Daniel Busheikin's lowkey manner, No Frills isn't out to get in your face with with extroverted swagger. Instead, there's some carefully-calebrated dynamics at play here — late-period Pavement hooks and the same sort of offhand narrative stance one might find in a Nap Eyes tune. Put it on stage though, and the five-piece rocks pretty convincingly.

[No Frills will be playing the Monarch on Friday, February 21st alongside $keleton Club, Condo, and Raymans. Long Winter is back on that same night, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

Recording: Ian Daniel Kehoe

Artist: Ian Daniel Kehoe

Song: What's a Liar Know Anyway

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

Ian Daniel Kehoe - What's a Liar Know Anyway

I hadn't checked in with Ian Daniel Kehoe since he wrapped up his Marine Dreams project and launched his Secret Republic album under his given name. Although in its latter times Marine Dreams was winding down from a band to a solo project, this solo incarnation has zagged away from solo acoustic balladeering to deploying some one-man-band technology. The drum machine and guitar sounds hew towards a glossy 80's sound, like finding one of those obscure soundtrack albums to a forgotten teen flick with solo tracks from Lindsay Buckingham, Glenn Frey and Don Dixon. (There's also a glorious hint of "When You Were Mine"'s sonic DNA spliced into this song.)

[Long Winter is back on Friday, February 21st, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

Recording: Robin Hatch

Artist: Robin Hatch

Song: The Serpent

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 8.3), January 11, 2020.

Robin Hatch - The Serpent

Pivoting away from duty in touring rock bands, Robin Hatch has turned to composition for solo keyboards. (And turned with prodigious dedication, producing three solo albums over the past year.) Interestingly, though, rather than retreating to the rarefied and exclusive zones where contemporary composition is most often heard, she's staying engaged with the communities she's played in for years, treating her pieces like songs to be played and appreciated with the same occasional stumbles and glorious imperfections that make rock shows interesting, instead of intellectual ideals meant to be executed as flawlessly as possible.

[Robin Hatch & Friends will be performing a set of Elton John songs at Death To T.O.'s Valentine's Day cover song spectacular, February 14th at Lee's Palace. Long Winter is back on Friday, February 21st, returning to Workman Arts for a night of art and music — including sounds from Mil-Spec, Korydor, Laps, Tallies, Isla Craig, Hua Li, Backxwash, Witchrot, Scorpio Rising, Lavender Bruisers and Tongue Patrol.]

Recording: R. Flex

Artist: R. Flex

Song: Containment

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

R. Flex - Containment

With charisma to burn, R. Flex closed out the night's main stage performances with a convincing and committed set of future R&B. With make-you-sweat dedication, this set-closer moved the action from stage to dancefloor for some audience-participation vibes.

[R. Flex will be hosting a special night of cover songs and healing rituals on Friday, January 31st. Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Leucrocuta

Artist: Leucrocuta

Song: two unknown songs^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Leucrocuta - unknown #1

Leucrocuta - unknown #2

Sometimes a purveyor of ambient sound design or austere synthscapes, the flipside of Laura Dickens' Leucrocuta project sees her delving into gothy darkwave pop. This set (stage look: "bene gesserit/dystopian dom") with co-conspirator Hex-A-Decimal moved from the dissections of consumer culture heard here into some bumpin' Peaches territory, examining contemporary possibilities of both containment and liberation.

[Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

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

Recording: Pretty Matty

Artist: Pretty Matty

Songs: F+B + Broken Doorbell

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Pretty Matty - F+B

Pretty Matty - Broken Doorbell

Timeless — in the sense that this wouldn't sound out of place on either a demo tape from 1998 or a Burger records compilation — this quartet brought a charming off-handedness to the stage and plenty of pop-punk momentum, which was at its best when it was at its boppingest.

[Pretty Matty will be opening up for Drug Church at Hard Luck Bar on February 2nd. Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Roach

Artist: Roach

Song: St. John's Road

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Roach - St. John's Road

This quartet, with an EP under their belt and a debut album forthcoming, offered up some melodic indie pop that hinted at Alvvays as a key influence — but there was also some tasty crunch to the guitars (shades of, say, Plumtree) to keep things lively.

[Roach will be playing in Dan Burke's "Class Of 2020" show at The Monarch on January 18th. Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Annacetaminophen

Artist: Annacetaminophen

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Annacetaminophen - [excerpt]

Offering up some laptop noise, the excellently-named Annacetaminophen presented up a continuous suite of staticbursts and sonic uncertainty. There was a underlying uneasiness to the sound here — beats would emerge but not stick around for too long, stripping away a lot of the "easy" handholds to grab on to, forcing the listener to have to lean in a little to tease out some of the melodic undertones and hints of hidden structures.

[Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Aaron Dolman

Artist: Aaron Dolman

Song: Ballad for an Old Barn

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Aaron Dolman - Ballad for an Old Barn

This quintet was under the guidance of the titular Montreal-based drummer, crafting some lush, usually-instrumental chamber pop. Bringing to mind circa-2008 "collective" bands like Ohbijou (or, maybe even more specifically, Kite Hill) there was also a bit of proggy fussiness underneath it all — this band could easily veer off into a sort of National Health direction with no problems.

[Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Mingjia & Strings

Artist: Mingjia & Strings

Song: Friend

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Long Winter 8.1), November 22, 2019.

Mingjia & Strings - Friend

I've seen vocalist Mingjia Jessica Chen performing in a few different contexts (mostly mixing songs to one degree or another with composed/"art" music) but this configuration saw her in a more straightforwardly "pop" setting, her voice and keyboard backed by a string quartet. Perhaps even more than on last year's EP, this stripped-back presentation gives the songs both an intimate directness and lush chamber-pop expansiveness.

[Long Winter is back on Saturday (January 11th) with a night of art and music at The Gladstone, including performances from Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch and Ichi-Bons.]

Recording: Woodhands

Artist: Woodhands feat. Mamarudegyal

Song: I Should Have Gone With My Friends/Straighten The Curtain

Recorded at Workman Arts – Main Hall (Long Winter 7.5), March 29, 2019.

Woodhands - I Should Have Gone With My Friends/Straighten The Curtain

With drummer Paul Banwatt already on the scene to play with secret guest headliners The Rural Alberta Advantage, this reunion set made good logistical sense. I could be wrong, but I think their last show was in fact the last time I saw 'em, but from Dan Werb's first "oh shit!" it felt like old times. As ever, the pair took the opportunity to stretch out their songs into live 12" dance mixes, injecting their awkward anthems with manic energy.

Recording: The Rural Alberta Advantage

Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage

Songs: Beacon Hill + Terrified

Recorded at Workman Arts – Main Hall (Long Winter 7.5), March 29, 2019.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Beacon Hill

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Terrified

In the rather long stretch since I last saw 'em, The RAA has released a couple albums (2014's Mended with Gold as well as 2017's The Wild), lost and reacquired vocalist/keyboardist Amy Cole, and has played a bunch of festivals. This summer they'll be out on the road some more, shaping new material (some of which was previewed at this show).

Recording: Kelly Fraser

Artist: Kelly Fraser

Song: Looking for a Seal

Recorded at Workman Arts – Main Hall (Long Winter 7.5), March 29, 2019.

Kelly Fraser - Looking for a Seal

Hailing from from Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Kelly Fraser brought a Northern perspective to the night, singing and rapping in Inuktitut and English. Her music showed reverence to her community's traditions but also leaped into the contemporary popsphere with both feet.

Recording: MamaRudeGyal MTHC

Artist: MamaRudeGyal MTHC

Song: 4 A.M.

Recorded at Workman Arts – Roseneath Theatre (Long Winter 7.5), March 29, 2019.

MamaRudeGyal MTHC - 4 A.M.

The self-professed "most awkward rapper in the game", this Burnaby, B.C. based musician nevertheless brought some modest swagger to her performance. (And also dropped a guest verse later on in Woodhands' set.)

Recording: Bruised Years Choir

Artist: Bruised Years Choir

Songs: Trouble in Mind [composer: Richard M. Jones] + We Are the Champions [Queen cover]

Recorded at Workman Arts – Main Hall (Long Winter 7.5), March 29, 2019.

Bruised Years Choir - Trouble in Mind

Bruised Years Choir - We Are the Champions

Once more, Long Winter felt right at home in Workman Arts' frayed-at-the-edges splendour. That was enhanced with this appearance from the Bruised Years Choir, one of the organization's resident ensembles. Guided by Jim LeFrancois on piano (as well as familiar face Johnny Spence on guitar) a dozen singers tackled arrangements of songs focusing both on struggles with addiction and madness as well as celebratory triumph.

[The Bruised Years Choir will be one of the (many!) participants in Luminato's massive Cris Derksen-composed choral event Maada'ookii Songlines, free at the Harbourfront Centre on Sunday, June 23rd.]

Recording: Rapport

Artist: Rapport

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Workman Arts – Main Hall (Long Winter 7.4), February 9, 2019.

Rapport - unknown

With its multiple floors, cavernous halls, creaky stairwells and peeling-paint grandeur, Workman Arts might be the closest thing Long Winter has found to its old home at the pre-restoration Great Hall. Tina Weymouth's stage presence in Stop Making Sense should have inspired the formation of more bands, but thankfully we have this one. The only thing not to love about this group is that they are still keeping their music mostly on stage, with just a single track up on their bandcamp. But their live show (with Stephen "Omhouse" Foster sitting in on drums this time out) remains packed to the brim with infectiously joyful energy — if their lyrical invocations of "freedom" might seem ripped from the song playing over the end credits dance scene in the 80's teen flick of your choice, it's always completely lived in and never just a pastiche. Complete with a "bark-in" to begin, this song teeters on the brink of falling apart about two-thirds of the way through, but it still manages to to elicit plenty of joy, whether or not it evokes, say, the backing vox from The Go-Betweens' "Streets of Your Town" and the sequencer chug of a Game Theory track.

[Rapport will be playing a Pop Montreal showcase at The Baby G on Saturday, May 11th with Lydia Kepinski, Hanorah and Casey MQ.]

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