Recording: Lavender Bruisers

Artist: Lavender Bruisers

Song: I Would Have Lifted You Up

Recorded at The Baby G, January 16, 2020.

Lavender Bruisers - I Would Have Lifted You Up

Having expanded from a solo endeavour to a full band, Kritty Uranowski's pop project is gaining more rock momentum (deployed to good effect on a cover of David Berman's "Margaritas at the Mall"). Even as the rhythm section (of Jesse Locke and Matt Learoyd) extends the anthemic disco vibes (and New order-ish bassline) in this track, it's still Uranowski's charismatic presence that lifts things up.

[Lavender Bruisers will be performing Friday (February 21st) at Long Winter.]

Recording: Feel Alright

Artist: Feel Alright

Songs: In Your Eyes + In Bad Faith

Recorded at Smiling Buddha (Pleasence Fest), February 10, 2018.

Feel Alright - In Your Eyes

Feel Alright - In Bad Faith

Celebrating both their transformation under a new ownership structure as well as the release of a new podcast, Pleasence Records put on a full night of entertainment, keeping busy with alternating sets upstairs and down. I came halfway through after attending an early show and still managed to catch four sets! This project from Calgary's Craig Fahner released an EP on Paul Lawton's now-defunct Mammoth Cave label and seems set to follow him onward to Pleasence. The band, a geographically-flexible concept that allows Fahner to play with different friends in different timezones, saw him joined by Tough Age's Jesse Locke (on drums) and recent Calgarian transplant Matt Learoyd (making some melodic explorations on a Bass VI). The clean-toned power-pop/new wave would have worked well with skinny ties all around, but fit in fine with Fahner's collared shirt and acid-washed jeans.