Recording: U.S. Girls

Artist: U.S. Girls

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

U.S. Girls - unknown

It had been a hot minute since I had seen Meg Remy in performance, and I was pleased to see that this fundraiser-closing set was with a full band (although the evidence is also that she has been slaying it in duo mode with Geordie Gordon). This turned out to be a shorter but intensely-focused set, with this discofied jam sprawling out for about half of its length. Remy went from having her own private dance party on stage to taking it out among the crowd — I didn't have a great angle to see all the shenanigans, but I am told things got up close and personal. And then, job done, Remy sashayed off the stage, leaving 'em wanting more.

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

Recording: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Songs: The Observers + Let the Sunshine In [from the musical "Hair"]

Recorded at The Garrison, May 3, 2019.

The Cosmic Range - The Observers

The Cosmic Range - Let the Sunshine In

Celebrating the release of The Gratitude Principle, Doc Dunn and The Cosmic Range filled the stage at the Big G with the usual large complement (including Mike Smith providing all the basslines this time 'round on Moog rather than four-string). Moving from spiritual planetarium drift to full-on wah-wah soul funk, the night ended in a familiar place, with a cover that used to show up quite frequently in Isla Craig's solo repertoire.

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: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Song: The Gratitude Principle

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

The Cosmic Range - The Gratitude Principle

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. Capping things off was another bigglyup ensemble, breaking out something like a greatest-grooves set. Convener and head kowboy Doc Dunn was off to the side on organ, while a casual observer might have concluded that sax player Andy Haas — performing with joyful verve centre-stage — was the leader here. Fun stuff and a perfect way to end the day's takeover of that strange ad-bathed concrete space next to the centre of the city's shopping vortex. There is always culture seeping out through the cracks.

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: 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 Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Song: The Shark [excerpt]

Recorded at Prairie Drive Park (Feast in the East 63), July 8, 2017.

The Cosmic Range - The Shark [excerpt]

A return to Prairie Drive Park after last year's initial excursion had another excellent lineup and even better weather. Free food for all gave locals and musical tourists a chance to mingle together and it was a real treat to hear music echoing through the well-used park. Essential city-building work from Toronto Arts Foundation's Arts in the Parks initiative — hopefully this will continue every summer.

The full Cosmic Range complement were out in force, with Matt "Doc" Dunn joined by Isla Craig (vox, percussion), Andy Haas (sax, electronics), Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull (guit), Jonathan Adjemian (synth), Mike Smith (bass), Jay Anderson (drums), Brandon Valdivia (percussion) and Derek and Iggy Madison (percussion). The set was given over to a sprawling new piece called "The Shark", which moved hungrily between mellow groove-simmers and teeth-baring rockouts.

Recording: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Songs: Kowboy + [fourth section]

Recorded at The Great Hall, January 19, 2017.

The Cosmic Range - Kowboy

The Cosmic Range - [fourth section]

This was my first time out to The Great Hall since their long-in-the-works refurbishment was completed. Not only was it a treat to experience the new, spacious bathrooms, but the main space was also opened up with the removal of the large lighting rig that was suspended from the sides of the balconies. There was a new PA as well, and this was a good night for it, rendering the eight-piece band with clarity.

Flanking the stage there were keyboards left and right (for Matt "Doc" Dunn and Jonathan Adjemian, respectively), two percussion stations at the back (for Brandon Valdivia and Kieran Adams), Mike Smith (bass) and Isla Craig (vox) over on the right and lots of room in the middle for Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull (guit) and Andy Haas (saxophone). Alternating between funky blasts and pastoral drifts (and here's one of each for comparison's sake) the set tapped into the Sun Ra-dappled bliss that was captured so well on the New Latitudes album. The night's purpose was, in fact, a slightly-belated launch celebration for the disc. Rather wonderfully executed, it's a real celebration whenever this entire crew can get together.

Recording: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Song: Love II

Recorded at Christie Pits Park (Bloor Ossington Folk Festival – Day 2), September 18, 2016.

The Cosmic Range - Love II

Unsurprisingly, the fine sunny weather accompanying the festival's final day had the park feeling much more lively and animated with dog-walkers and playground patrons. The tent was also a lot busier from the get-go and as the warm sun held overhead, the rise of the hill beyond was soon filling as well. There was more of a poignant sad undertone to the day, with organizers, bands and audience members all dwelling a little more on the idea that this was the end of the line for the festival. But, as always, the music was a balm and a call to enjoy these moments while they last.

Interestingly, it looks like, for the time being, The Cosmic Range have had founder Matt "Doc" Dunn's name lopped off the marquee — perhaps to make things a bit more concise on a new release from esteemed local label Idée Fixe Records that drops next week. That doesn't change the sense of whose hand is on the tiller of this groove orchestra, who were out in full force on this day, with Dunn joined by Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull (guit), Jonathan Adjemian (synth), Andy Haas (sax), Mike Smith (bass), Isla Craig (vox), Brandon Valdivia (perc) and Kieran Adams (perc) — a groop so expansive that Dunn actually took his place off to the side of the stage. The set ran through the band's series of grooves combining heavy psych and Sun Ra astral projection with everything in blow-the-roof-off form.

Recording: Slim Twig

Artist: Slim Twig

Songs: Textiles On Mainstreet + Cannabis [Serge Gainsbourg cover]

Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, October 21, 2015.

Slim Twig - Textiles On Mainstreet

Slim Twig - Cannabis

This hometown celebration for the new Thank You For Stickin' With Twig saw Max Turnbull playing with a crew of his frequent musical associates, even if it was a rather different band than he'd brought to the Silver Dollar earlier this year. With Meg Remy busy conquering Europe as U.S. Girls there were no keybs, the gap instead filled with guitars. Lotsa guitars. The core quintet saw the Flying V-sporting Turnbull joined by Simone T-B on drums, Tim Westberg on bass and the expatriated-to-London Anthony Nemet (Actual Water) on guit. That provided plenty crunch as the band rolled through a series of glam-powered rockout versions of songs from the new album, but to up the ante for the finale, the band added Matt "Doc" Dunn and Matty Dee — two more lead guitarists to power through Bowie's "Black Country Rock" and Serge Gainsbourg's "Cannabis", as well as a brand new tune. Quite a wall of sound and a wallop of good ol' Slim Twig ostentatious maximalism.

Recording: Darlene Shrugg

Artist: Darlene Shrugg

Songs: Some Weird Sin [Iggy Pop cover] + National Security^*

Recorded at Mercury Social Club, July 17, 2015.

Darlene Shrugg - Some Weird Sin

Darlene Shrugg - National Security

Mercury Social Club, a new venture from the former proprietors of Saving Gigi has the potential to be another asset in the emerging cultural district on Geary Av. if it can be rescued from what sounds like an ongoing bureaucratic quagmire. In the meantime, it's being used as an occasional special event space, and in its current semi-refinished state, it feels something like hanging around in a reclaimed rec hall. A fairly wide space, there's a likeable amount of elbow room with a rough-hewn make-do charm. The sound's a little rough still at this point, and the room got hot like a sauna as the crowd built up, but I'm hoping there'll be a chance for this to become a regularly-functioning space.

Fresh out of the recording studio cutting some tracks with Ben Cook, Darlene Shrugg were already preparing for their appearance at next year's Polaris gala. Rocking a set of heavy glam gems (single "Freedom Comes In A Plastic Card" was even aired twice to start and end the set) with swaggering confidence, this many-headed beast was working with focused determination. Besides the Iggy Pop title essayed here by Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull and Meg "U.S. Girls" Remy, the latter song comes with lead vox from Ice Cream's Amanda Crist. The sound on this recording's a little ragged, given the venue's limitations, and Carlyn Bezic breaks a guitar string during the Iggy tune, but driven on by Simone T-B's drums, these feel pretty satisfactory.

^* This title is an educated guess and subject to confirmation.

Recording: Doc Dunn & The Cosmic Range

Artist: Doc Dunn & The Cosmic Range

Song: New Latitudes

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (HPR presents), May 27, 2015.

Doc Dunn & The Cosmic Range - New Latitudes

A (late) night of lovely music at this monthly Healing Power jam, with an extra-special appearance by a different ensemble from Matt "Doc" Dunn than I'd seen recently. As always, though, there was an all-star cast here, with Dunn on keyboard, piano and percussion joined by Isla Craig (vox), Jonathan Adjemian (synth), Kieran Adams (drums), Brandon Valdivia (percussion), Mike Smith (synth, percussion) and Max Turnbull (guitar). With plenty rhythm and Dunn's languid keyb work, at times this sounded like a stoned out Fela Kuti secretly recording a blaxploitation soundtrack.

Recording: Slim Twig

Artist: Slim Twig

Songs: J.C. Walked On Water (I'm Walking On Air)^* + Widow, Were You Younger + Black Country Rock [David Bowie cover]/Fog Of Sex (N.S.I.S.)^*

Recorded at The Silver Dollar Room, January 23, 2015.

Slim Twig - J.C. Walked On Water (I'm Walking On Air)

Slim Twig - Widow, Were You Younger

Slim Twig - Black Country Rock/Fog Of Sex (N.S.I.S.)

A big homecoming for Max Turnbull, ending a tour with his first "name" hometown show in a year to a nice, full house at the Silver Dollar. And with some validation in his back pocket, to boot, with NYC's DFA Records re-issuing 2012's A Hound at the Hem to a wider audience than it had previously enjoyed. Turnbull could have been embittered by the whole experience and local indifference but instead stayed positive, praising local indie Pleasence (who had helped get the album out originally) and reminding the crowd how much great music there is to be had in these parts.

As to what he was going to do to reproduce his most ornate album on stage, the answer turned out to be "not very much". Instead, fronting a new, heavy rock-action version of the Slim Twig band (including Simone T-B on drums, Meg Remy on keybs and Michael Rault on bass) he offered a set filled with mostly new material. The fact that two-thirds of that backing line-up overlap with his collaborative group Darlene Shrugg make it no surprise that they share some of the same impulses towards heavy-chugging psych-flavoured excursions. To get a taste of what was on offer, here's something new (and one, Turnbull declared, that wasn't even good enough to make the cut on the band's forthcoming album!), one of the two Hound cuts that were essayed, and something from the set-ending cover segment.

^* See the officially-sourced annotations in the comment below!

Recording: Darlene Shrugg

Artist: Darlene Shrugg

Song: Freedom Comes in a Plastic Card^*

Recorded at Comfort Zone ("All Toronto's Parties 2"), May 24, 2014.

Darlene Shrugg - Freedom Comes in a Plastic Card

Full review to follow. The first ATP show brought together bands selected by five different live music purveyors in a cool mix'n'match marathon. Upping the ante, the night-time portion follow-up brought a full line-up of recombinant bands (some of them special one-offs) to create a completely unique night. (It should also be noted that this also served as Wavelength's 600th show. Congratulations Wavelength!)

Although the night's headliner fit right into the mandate of combined forces, Darlene Shrugg is indeed an ongoing, working project. Formed from the ashes of Tropics, this sees that duo's Slim Twig and Simone T-B joined with U.S. Girls' Meg Remy as well as Ice Cream's Amanda Crist and Carlyn Bezic. The result didn't particularly sound like any of those groups, instead emerging a a fuzz-heavy proto-hardrock Detroit stomp — intense and chaotic but convincingly held together by its own internal logic. And then melting your face off.

You can also check out some more pictures from the day on the MFS facebook page.

^* Thanks to Jesse for passing the title to this one along.

Download: Tropics 2009-04-24 [MFS #001]

On April 24, 2009, I took my newly-acquired microphones out "in the field" for the first time ever. Butterflies in my stomach, feeling awkward and conspicuous, I stood against a wall and tried to look casual as I hooked up my gear. By sheer chance, the first band that I would record would be Tropics, who were the openers at a Hive Dwellers/Chain and the Gang gig at the old Whippersnapper Gallery on College.

I'd come to enjoy the band more than the somewhat middling praise I offered at the time — and Tropics would be an example of the sort of band that I'm glad to have documented, as they were very much a "live" band whose recorded legacy would under-represent how much material they had.

Tropics - [last song]

This is not my best Tropics recording — it's very literally the sound of a guy figuring out how to use his gear. But I do know a bit more about processing audio now and after a few tweaks, it ain't half bad. And... it's the first. Now, on the fifth anniversary of this whole thing getting started, you can hear it for the first time ever. Grab it here:

Tropics - 2009-04-24 [MFS #001]

Tropics are no more, but their DNA is encoded in the new project Darlene Shrugg. Slim Twig is still Slim Twig. Simone TB can be seen performing with The Highest Order.

Thanks to Max T. for understanding the historical imperative here. At some point I'll have to figure out what my best Tropics recording is and post that.

Recording: Coca-Cola

Artist: Coca-Cola

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Double Double Land, December 28, 2013.

Coca-Cola - unknown

Full review to follow. Meg Remy and Max Turnbull put on the figurative labcoats that go with their experimental pop science project to help celebrate the release of an album that they put out in their guise of the impresarios of Calico Corp. Once again, I was struck at how their stacks of keyboards and other gear can shift from sound library experimental drift to catchy tunes with surprising quickness.

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

Recording: Slim Twig

Artist: Slim Twig

Song: Jack [Danava via U.S. Girls cover]

Recorded at Polyhaus ("Feast in the East 24"), April 13, 2013.

Slim Twig - Jack

Full review to follow. Remember back last year when Slim Twig was talking about embracing the pop process and cutting back on the noise? Well, on this night at least, he's zagged again. Backed by Meg Remy instead of his band, this set collapsed some of the partitions between Slim Twig, U.S. Girls and Cola Cola.

Recording: Coca Cola

Artist: Coca Cola

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Double Double Land, June 22, 2012.

Coca Cola - unknown

Full review to follow. I have seen this joint project between U.S. Girls and Slim Twig play together before, but I must confess it didn't previously make anything like this much impact. Amongst the sampled dialogue and ambient segues, the songs felt a bit more, like, well songs, and that made the thing more interesting.

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

Recording: Slim Twig

Artist: Slim Twig

Song: I'll Always Be A Child^*

Recorded at The Silver Dollar, December 16, 2011.

Slim Twig - I'll Always Be A Child

Full review to follow. In case you hadn't noticed, Slim Twig is back with a new band, doing an excellent job channelling his pop impulses through the funhouse mirror.

^* Thanks to Jennifer for passing along the title to this one.

Recording: Tropics

Artist: Tropics

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Shop @ Parts and Labour, June 11, 2010.

Tropics - unknown

My notes for this set can be found here.

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