Monday Roundup #210

Concert announcements:

The Titillators [Ryan Driver/Thom Gill/Tania Gill/Phil Melanson/Nick Fraser/Colin Cudmore] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-27 (Monday) [more info]

Clue Note: Trivia and Creative Music (feat. Mira Martin-Gray & %%30%30) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-28 (Tuesday – early). $PWYC, $10 suggested, NOTAFLOF. [more info]

Nick Fraser Presents (feat. Trapezoid [Nick Fraser/Rob Clutton/Karen Ng/Kurt Newman]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-28 (Tuesday). $PWYC. [more info]

Kayla Milmine & Friends (feat. Happy Trails [Victor O & Kayla Milmine] / K2 [Jonathan Kay & Kayla Milmine] / vic & lenny is Who / vic, lenny, jonathan & kayla) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-29 (Wednesday) [FB event]

All-Set! Presents (feat. Molehill [Mike Smith/Pete Johnston/Jake Oelrichs]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-31 (Friday – early). $PWYC. [more info]

The Ryan Driver Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-31 (Friday). $pwyw. [more info]

Isla Craig [acoustic trio set alongside Alex Lukashevsky & Matthew Coldwell] (A L M A [Allie Blumas]) / 918 Bathurst (Sun Room) 2025-02-02 (Sunday – 3 p.m.). $20, all ages, family-friendly. [FB event]

undercommons collective presents: Sam Newsome's Straight Horn Magick Tour! (feat. Subspace Interception [Sam Newsome & Kayla Milmine] / Soprano Sax Quintet [Sam Newsome/Andrew Kay/Jonathan Kay/Bea Labikova/Kayla Milmine]) / Annette Studios 2025-02-07 (Friday). [FB event]

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti (Sara May / Giving) / The Cameron House (back room) 2025-02-07 (Friday). $15 adv / $20 door, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Sam Newsome's Straight Horn Magick Tour! (feat. Sam Newsome/Nick Fraser/Marilyn Lerner/Jonathan Kay/Kayla Milmine) / The Rex 2025-02-09–10 (Sunday–Monday). [FB event]

Track Could Bend #100 [music plus potluck / community hangs / zine-making gathering] (feat. TCB alumni "Bands From a Hat" groupings) / 918 Bathurst 2025-02-16 (Sunday – music 5:00-7:00 and 8:00-11:00). $pwyc, all-ages, family-friendly. [FB event]

Gloin / The Dance Cave 2024-04-26 (Saturday). $28.19, 19+. [FB event]

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

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Shows this week:

Swan Song with Adrian Russouw [Fionn Ling/Luke Nickel/Jordan Manderioli/Adrian Russouw/Ezra Schell] / The Emmet Ray 2024-01-20 (Monday – 6:30 p.m.). $12. [more info]

Music hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Kieran Daly [solo] / Double Teams [Brodie West/Karen Ng/Nick Fraser/Aidan McConnell) / Wenona Lodge 2025-01-21 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]

Within [Reservoir album release clebration!] (Loom) / Burdock Music Hall 2024-01-22 (Wednesday). $19.50, all ages. [tickets + more info]

Ronley Teper & the Lipliners / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-22 (Wednesday) [more info]

CMC Presents (feat. Zoma Maduekwe) / Canadian Music Centre 2025-01-23 (Thursday). General Admission: $15 Advance, $20 at the door; CMC Members and Arts Workers: $12 Advance, $15 at the door; Students: $10 anytime. [more info]

Persian Psychedelia (feat. Dastgâmachine [Caleb Klager/Mahmood Schricker/guest vocalist Neda Mohamadpour] / Sina Salimi / Kahveh) / Tapestry 2025-01-23 (Thursday). $11.30. [FB event]

Karen Ng Presents: Kieran Daly Plays Standards (feat. Kieran Daly/Dan Fortin/Philippe Melanson) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-23 (Thursday) [more info]

John Southworth / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-24 (Friday) [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival [curated by Nolan Hildebrand, feat works by Yike Zhang, Steven Banks, Menelaos Peistikos, Kotoka Suzuki, Nolan Hildebrand] (feat. Toronto Saxophone Collective) / Walter Hall 2025-01-25 (Saturday – 2:30 p.m.). $free. [more info]

Brittany Pitt/Dan Pitt/Laura Swankey / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-25 (Saturday). $15 minimum donation. [more info]

catl. (All-Seeing Eyes / Shook Boys) / Monarch Tavern 2025-01-25 (Saturday). $20.50, 19+. [FB event]

Harry Vetro Trio [Harry Vetro/Harrison Argatoff/Andrew Furlong] / The Emmet Ray 2024-01-26 (Sunday). $12. [more info]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 24, 2012 at Soundscapes.

John K. Samson - The Last And

• ...on January 26, 2012 at The Silver Dollar Room.

Hussy - Tarter Mouth

[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: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI

Song: I'm Not Bruce [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 29, 2024.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI - I'm Not Bruce [excerpt]

Closing out a busy and productive year (with shows in The Tranzac, in church, and outside) this afternoon saw a record number of homeostasisists gathering together to gently listen and make sounds. A real joy to be in the middle of, with so many strands that one could follow along, until something else grabs one's attention. And as always, you can hear the whole afternoon's worth of sounds over on bandcamp:

The participants this time around were:

• Jim Davis - bass + effects, namer-of-things
• Johan S. - sunvox ipad / UPI sketch
• Mike Filippov - wave drum
• %%30%30 - percussion
• Rosalind Saunders - violin
• Trevor Ablett - guitar
• Christina + Wesley Ablett - wave drum
• Jonny Luke - cornet
• Scott M2 - S-1
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Mira Martin-Gray - laptop
• Matt Collins - guitar
• yasmine - synth, shakers
• apple - shakers
• Sterling McPhedran - guitar
• Ian McPhedran - banjo-uke
• Elliott Chapin - flute
• Dame Cook - digital synthesis
• Dan Friedman - Moog Mavis, Korg NTS1, flute
• Philip Hamilton - oscillators, contact mic
• Victor O - Yamaha CP Reface
• Mickle32 - clarinet
• Heraclitus Akimbo - lap steel

Mike Filippov shot some really beautiful abstracted video on the day that really captures the spirit of the music. It doesn't look to be embeddable, so I recommend you click here and go watch it!

Recording: December Bee

Artist: December Bee

Song: [first piece]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (CLUE NOTE: trivia and creative music (vol 3)), December 29, 2024.

December Bee - [first piece]

This ensemble seemed purpose-built to essay this composition, bringing together twang'n'noise sounds from host/composer Mira Martin-Gray (voice, laptop, mandolin) with Niamh Girling (spring with pickup, mandolin), Marilyn Yogarajah (piano, trumpet), Erin Corbett (banjo, mandolin, piano), and Kurt Newman (lap steel). Going on a wintry nature walk, copy of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek in hand, Martin-Gray's rambles considered the notion, apparently held by ancient Romans, that bees could be killed by echoes and other mysteries of the world outside our windows.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[CLUE NOTE will be back in its regular timeslot in the Southern Cross on Tuesday, January 28th with trivia on the theme of "the reality of fabric" and music by Mira Martin-Gray and %%30%30 performing the first live interpretation of Mira's album Stick Control for the Air Drummer.]

^* Based on the content, one might surmise this piece shares its title with the ensemble's, but it wasn't called out from the stage.

Monday Roundup #209

Concert announcements:

Music hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Kieran Daly [solo] / Double Teams [Brodie West/Karen Ng/Nick Fraser/Aidan McConnell) / Wenona Lodge 2025-01-21 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]

Persian Psychedelia (feat. Dastgâmachine [Caleb Klager/Mahmood Schricker/guest vocalist Neda Mohamadpour] / Sina Salimi / Kahveh) / Tapestry 2025-01-23 (Thursday). $11.30. [FB event]

Karen Ng presents (feat. Kieran Daly/Dan Fortin/Phil Melanson) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-23 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival [curated by Nolan Hildebrand, feat works by Yike Zhang, Steven Banks, Menelaos Peistikos, Kotoka Suzuki, Nolan Hildebrand] (feat. Toronto Saxophone Collective) / Walter Hall 2025-01-25 (Saturday – 2:30 p.m.). $free. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival [curated by Norbert Palej, works by Andrew Staniland, Reza Vali, Christina Volpini, Erik Ross] (feat. Rob MacDonald) / Walter Hall 2025-01-28 (Tuesday). $free. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival: Iranian Music Concert [curated and conducted by Kaveh Mirhosseini, works by Heshmat Sanjari, Iman Habibi, Afarin Mansouri, Shahab Paranj, Golfam Khayam, Reza Vali, Kaveh Mirhosseini] (feat. Saina Alikhani/Bijan Sepanji/Farzad Khorshid-savar) / Walter Hall 2025-01-31 (Friday). $free with registration. [more info]

Exit Points #56 (feat. Rumi Jeraj/J. Moone/Erica Whyte/Sonia Leung/Christopher Hull / Karen Ng/Kilometre Club/Aliyah Aziz/Dee Dee Decay/Michael Palumbo / switchemups) / Array Space 2025-01-31 (Friday). $20 [advance] / $25 [door]. [FB event]

University of Toronto New Music Festival [curated by Jim Lewis, works by Patrick O'Reilly] (feat. DOG Ensemble x Jazz Faculty) / Walter Hall 2025-02-02 (Sunday – 2:00 p.m.). $free. [more info]

Track Could Bend #101 (feat. Allison Cameron / Kayla Milmine/Bob Vespaziani/Michael Lynn) / Wenona Lodge 2025-02-04 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Basic [Chris Forsyth/Douglas McCombs/Mikel Patrick Avery] / The Sound Garage 2025-03-22 (Saturday). $28.98, 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. Timothy 1105 / Gruve Collective / Antibes / Nye Da / Alisa Vox Raw / naw / Paul Hillier / Time God Uly / Phurniture / Hilary Martin / Hozerz / Cetacea / Inchoate / dreamSTATE / Dre / Gary Duke) / Handlebar 2024-01-13 (Monday)

Sarah Greene & Friends [Sarah Greene/Paul Kolinski/Michael Herring/possibly some guests!] / The Local 2025-01-13 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Whiskeyjacks [Jay Hay/Dan Gooch/Pete Johnston/Jake Oelrichs] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-01-13 (Monday). $pwyc. [more info]

Makam Nights (feat. Habib Hoseini / Soheil Sadeghi) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2025-01-16 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Sub-Sessions #8 (feat. TFA / Wanda / Lahore Wept / Jaeger) / BSMT 254 2024-01-16 (Thursday). $14.64. [FB event]

JS Presents! Ep. 56 (feat. Thom Gill x JESSA/Jessica Stuart) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-01-18 (Saturday – 5 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 14, 2011 at Steelworkers Hall (Four Corners II).

Sun Ra Ra Ra - unknown

• ...on January 15, 2011 at !059.

Army Girls - Here It Comes

[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: Foisy/Furlong/Ng/Bennett

Artist: Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett

Song: [excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Living Room (f u zZ f es t 2.0), December 12, 2024.

Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett - [excerpt, part 1]

Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett - [excerpt, part 2]

A one-off touring-friends-meet-the-locals ensemble, this set featured Montréal's Raphaël Foisy (guitar) and Philadelphia's Ben Bennett (musical saw, floor percussion) joined by Karen Ng (alto sax) and Andrew Furlong (double bass) for some scratchy, crunchy freakouts and rumbly textures.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: battle milk

Artist: battle milk

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Living Room (f u zZ f es t 2.0), December 12, 2024.

battle milk - [excerpt]

Some new dynamics from shredcore duo battle milk, deploying some tension/release tactics instead of a full-on frontal attack. That said, Brian Fog's drumkit was still losing structural integrity as the set went on, even after guitarist Phil Hamilton unexpectedly grasped for his inner Bono.

You can check out the full set (with some U2-obscuring techniques applied) over on youtube:

Recording: Eric Laska

Artist: Eric Laska

Song: Looking Back

Recorded at The Tranzac's Living Room (f u zZ f es t 2.0), December 12, 2024.

Eric Laska - Looking Back

Philadelphia-based Eric Laska brought along some of his original songs to open up this night of fuzzier, buzzier sounds. His guitar and voice supported by some tracks on his laptop, there was a soothing deadpan mellowness at play here, at times hinting at a singer-songwriterly take on, say, The Sea and Cake.

Recording: Michelle Breslin & Friends

Artist: Michelle Breslin & Friends

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst, December 8, 2024.

Michelle Breslin & Friends - [excerpt]

Michelle Breslin closed out the celebration of her new solo album with a group effort, inviting some members of Ghostlight as well as some of the evening's other participants to join together for a bit of abstract drift-noise. The ad hoc ensemble included Vassilios Alexiou (synth), Dave Rodgers (ipad), Chris Youknowwho (guitar), Soren Brothers (voice, electronics), and Heraclitus Akimbo (electronics).

You can check out the full jam segment over on youtube:

Recording: Lostworldsounds

Artist: Lostworldsounds

Song: These Waves

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst, December 8, 2024.

Lostworldsounds - These Waves

Michelle Breslin was celebrating the release of the new Heartbroken Yesterdays Fleeting Tomorrows album, but didn't feel the need to be constrained in an attempt to recreate its textures, instead ranging back through her songbook (even including a Sadoceanspacebear number). With some enhancements to the room's natural reverb and some evocative visuals, the set had just the right sense of atmosphere.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[You'll have a couple more chances right away to hear Breslin celebate this album, including tonight (Tuesday, January 7th) at Wenona for Track Could Bend, and Sunday afternoon (January 12th) at The Tranzac for Ayal Senior & Friends.]

Recording: Man Meets Bear

Artist: Man Meets Bear

Song: unknown^*

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst, December 8, 2024.

Man Meets Bear - unknown

Soren Brothers, curator of the Ur Audiovisual label, as well as purveyor of his own music, has been quiet lately in those realms, with other parts of life being busy. That made this night a chance to get back on stage and share some new songs, in a thoughtfully-constructed set following some of the wildlife and human affairs entwined with the Don River. Alternating readings and songs, the latter saw Brothers pushing in some new directions, with his Nick Drake fingerpicked folk stylings augmented by a throat mic run through some effects, suggesting forests and rivers pushing back against any unnatural constraints trying to contain them.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

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

Monday Roundup #208

Community notes:

• The Tranzac is holding a Town Hall this Sunday (January 12th), in the Main Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. "The Tranzac Board of Directors and Executive Director Jason Doell invite all new members, old members, lapsed members, never members and don't remembers, artists, renters, community folk, attendees, friends, lovers and appreciators of the Tranzac to our Town Hall. If you have questions you would like addressed and/or topics you would like to discuss, please fill out this form before midnight January 10th, 2025. We look forward to the conversations!"

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Concert announcements:

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic (feat. Timothy 1105 / Gruve Collective / Antibes / Nye Da / Alisa Vox Raw / naw / Paul Hillier / Time God Uly / Phurniture / Hilary Martin / Hozerz / Cetacea / Inchoate / dreamSTATE / Dre / Gary Duke) / Handlebar 2024-01-13 (Monday)

CMC Presents (feat. Zoma Maduekwe) / Canadian Music Centre 2025-01-23 (Thursday). General Admission: $15 Advance, $20 at the door; CMC Members and Arts Workers: $12 Advance, $15 at the door; Students: $10 anytime. [more info]

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

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Shows this week:

Holy Oak Family Singers presents Toronto Does Toronto (feat. Thom Gill/Bram Gielen/Maggie Keogh/Justin Orok/Sarah Greene/Sarah Ruba/Ivy Mairi/Ten Moon/Alex Lukashevsky/Luka Kuploysky/Felicity Williams/Steven Noronha/Caitlin Woelfle O'Brien) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-07 (Tuesday – early) [more info]

Track Could Bend #99 (feat. Lostworldsounds / future proof [Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter]) / Wenona Lodge 2025-01-07 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Peripheral Vision (Lina Allemano Four) 2025-01-07 (Tuesday) [FB event]

BLOOP / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-08 (Wednesday – early). [FB event]

The Cluttertones [Lina Allemano/Ryan Driver/Tim Posgate/Rob Clutton] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-10 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Audiopollination (feat. Rabia Agha/Yoshi Maclear Wall/ Meryem Alaoui / Mike Smith/Em Wright / Matthew Endahl/Matt Collins / Mickle32/Elizabeth Lima) / Array Space 2025-01-10 (Friday). $10 (cash or card), livestream available. [FB event]

Musica Universalis (feat. Ben Dwyer/Spencer Cole/Colin Fisher) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-10 (Friday) $20 suggested donation

Labyrinth Ensemble presents (feat. Araz Salek/Roa Lee/Sasan Salaseli) / Bata Shoe Museum 2025-01-12 (Sunday – 1 p.m.). $free with registration. [FB event]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Michelle Breslin / David Sait / Nick Flanagan) 2025-01-12 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]

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Video hits:

• Check out this cool little puppet show/experimental film, with sounds from Sarah Albu & Matti Pulkki:

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 9, 2010 at The Cobourg.

Julie Doiron - Will You Still Love Me In December

• ...on January 12, 2010 at Sneaky Dee's.

Medication - Fog

[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: The Sympathetic String Band

Artist: The Sympathetic String Band

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), December 8, 2024.

The Sympathetic String Band - [excerpt]

This ensemble(?)/collective(?) was once more expanded from the previous times I've seen 'em, having gone from duo to quartet to quintet. The addition of sitar into the mix of strings was an entirely sympathetic one, adding more drones and repeated patterns to weave among the guitars and dulcimers on stage. This section was about as frisky as the group got, which is to say this was a mellow meadow drift of a time.

[Ayal Senior & Friends is back in the Southern Cross a week tomorrow (Sunday, January 12th) with sets from Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman, Michelle Breslin, David Sait, and Nick Flanagan.]

Recording: Way Bad Stone

Artist: Way Bad Stone

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), December 8, 2024.

Way Bad Stone - [excerpt]

Where is a duo to go once they've already been "triple bad"? Obviously, to add a third member and ascend to the realm of "way bad". And hence, the previous month's pairing of Marilyn Yogarajah (piano/trumpet) and Ayal Senior (bass/space echo) got some sonic soul glue from percussionist %%30%30, providing some structure to climb, like a jury-rigged space elevator DIY'd from purloined jungle gyms.

[Ayal Senior & Friends is back in the Southern Cross a week tomorrow (Sunday, January 12th) with sets from Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman, Michelle Breslin, David Sait, and Nick Flanagan.]

Recording: Pigeon Dance

Artist: Pigeon Dance

Song: [excerpt from first piece]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #98), December 3, 2024.

Pigeon Dance - [excerpt from first piece]

I asked Victor O to put something together for TCB and be responded with this should-be-a-full-time-band trio, with Clay on percussion/flute and Lenny on keybs/vox/chaos. Sounding like a late-night out-take from the In a Silent Way sessions when the acid was really kicking in, this was a pretty excellent psychedelic journey.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday (January 7th) with sets from Lostworldsounds, future proof, and Hex-a-Decimal. And get ready for February, with two big TCB special celebrations!]

Recording: Dept. of Loss

Artist: Dept. of Loss

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #98), December 3, 2024.

Dept. of Loss - [excerpt]

One genuine thrill of putting together shows for Track Could Bend is giving artits a chance to propose combinations and concepts that I never would have considered. When Phil Hamilton (battle milk, Density Creep, Determinist? Beard Closet, etc.) pitched this joint effort with Fan Wu I was surprised and intruiged, but it turned out there was definite overlap between the former's performative abrasiveness and the latter's transgressive formalism. Centred around feedback sculpted with a mic and amp (though there were also gongs, samples, voices and more in the mix there) this was, as the duo's name suggested, an exercise in exploring the pain of absence and the manifestations of the void. It also ended with some audience-participation-as-audience-confrontation, as you can see if watch the clip below through to the end:

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday (January 7th) with sets from Lostworldsounds, future proof, and Hex-a-Decimal. And get ready for February, with two big TCB special celebrations!]