Recording: Un Blonde

Artist: Un Blonde

Song: unknown^*

Recorded in The Garrison's front room ("PPOP Label Fair"), June 20, 2015.

Un Blonde - unknown

I'd heard good things about this group, fronted by Montréal-via-Calgary's Jean-Sebastien Audet, but hadn't checked them out. The current live quartet brings a synth-based fragmented, deconstructed take on R&B, cut through with occasional bursts of guitar noise. Some research suggests this is the angle the band's explored on the recent Water The Next Day, which sounds like a concerted effort to strip back from the more rock-forward structures on their earlier stuff. "Shedding this burden", indeed.

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

Recording: Surinam

Artist: Surinam

Song: That's My Excuse Anyways

Recorded in The Garrison's front room ("PPOP Label Fair"), June 20, 2015.

Surinam - That's My Excuse Anyways

A fun day at The Garrison put together by People Put Out Productions saw a (somewhat underattended) label fair in the back room, while the front was taken up with an afternoon of cool bands playing on the recently-installed stage. Given their longstanding propensity for playing as late as possible, it was somewhat unusual (and even slightly disconcerting) to see Surinam in action in the daylight, but they ripped through their set with their usual ferocious intensity. Of course, if you snag their excellent tape, you can get a dose of menacing darkness at the hour of your choosing.

Recording: Young Mother

Artist: Young Mother

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at the MOCCA Courtyard (NXNE 2014: "Of Sound Mind"), June 22, 2014.

Young Mother - unknown

Given the amount of rancour that had surfaced between the festival and elements of the local DIY scene, it was somewhat amusing to see some of the latter gathered together at this "indie label fair" on the festival's final day. Organized by Sonic Boom and People Put Out Productions, this felt like it had its fingers a bit more firmly on the street-level pulse than a lot of NXNE doings. It was nice to see records and tapes getting purchased and there were some cool bands playing outside in the courtyard, which helped send the festival off on a happier note than it began on.

Since sax player Jason Wasiak moved away, Young Mother has been in various states of hiatus. But he was back in town as the band reunited for a couple appearances at NXNE. Keeping the brand alive, singer/guitarist Jesse Laderoute has shared some of the band's nascent recordings in the interim, but this "new" song shows that the well may not be totally dry yet.

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

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Song: Chick Singer

Recorded at the MOCCA Courtyard (NXNE 2014: "Of Sound Mind"), June 22, 2014.

Greys - Chick Singer

Given the amount of rancour that had surfaced between the festival and elements of the local DIY scene, it was somewhat amusing to see some of the latter gathered together at this "indie label fair" on the festival's final day. Organized by Sonic Boom and People Put Out Productions, this felt like it had its fingers a bit more firmly on the street-level pulse than a lot of NXNE doings. It was nice to see records and tapes getting purchased and there were some cool bands playing outside in the courtyard, which helped send the festival off on a happier note than it began on.

Giving a push to their freshly-released debut long player If Anything, Greys were all over the place during the festival. As we speak, the band is taking the album on the road to the West Coast of the USA, but they'll be returning for a proper local release party at DIY punk space S.H.I.B.G.B.s on August 8th.

Recording: Zacht Automaat

Artist: Zacht Automaat

Song: unknown [excerpt]^*

Recorded at the MOCCA Courtyard (NXNE 2014: "Of Sound Mind"), June 22, 2014.

Zacht Automaat - unknown [excerpt]

Given the amount of rancour that had surfaced between the festival and elements of the local DIY scene, it was somewhat amusing to see some of the latter gathered together at this "indie label fair" on the festival's final day. Organized by Sonic Boom and People Put Out Productions, this felt like it had its fingers a bit more firmly on the street-level pulse than a lot of NXNE doings. It was nice to see records and tapes getting purchased and there were some cool bands playing outside in the courtyard, which helped send the festival off on a happier note than it began on.

Do you like repetition? If so, these four bars may satisfy you greatly. Do you like repetition? Originally slated as a solo Carl Didur set, in a pleasant surprise this ended up being a ZA duo set, albeit one in a somewhat unusual fashion. Do you like repetition? With A laptop supplying a repeating four-note riff, synth/loop wizard Didur took to the drumkit, joined by Michael McLean on bass in a live recreation of a needle stuck in a record's looping side-closing lockgroove. Do you like repetition? Do you like repetition? Do you like repetition? Do you like repetition? DDo you like repetition? DDo you like repetition-ion? Do you like repetition? Do you like repetition?

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