Recording: SAP

Artist: SAP

Song: Babbling Brook

Recorded at Dina's Tavern, November 23, 2025.

SAP - Babbling Brook

Shit be weird, was the first thing that I wrote in my notepad as I soaked in the environs of Dina's Tavern, a new venue located on the former location of — and in the image of — beloved local dive The Silver Dollar Room. Weird, or, perhaps more precisely, uncanny. Walking up from Spadina, there were familiar faces out front, smoking and hanging out under the big Silver Dollar sign, just like there should be. Stepping in brings some disjunction, as there's now no flight of stairs to climb up (and no Comfort Zone looming below) — but once inside the doppelgänger effect kicks in, the room looking pretty close to what one's memory might hold. Looking closer tears at the illusion a little, as some of the details sink in — the whole side of the room behind the bar that held the pool table and booths hasn't been recreated, and the bathrooms are up a flight of stairs, through a door that suddenly reminds you that you're now in a 21st century condo-style building.

But still. Most of the virtues and drawbacks are intact. That weird layout, with the stage along one of the long walls, instead at the end of the space, squaring off against the bar — and the sonic oddness that that entails. (And to help maintain the feel of the past, there was a part of the crowd just hanging out along the bar, chatting away through the show.) Once I found my old spot, the new PA sounded decent enough.

In this city, we've gotten so used to things being torn down and taken away, and the only replacement seeming to be unending construction. So to have something like this venue exist — do recall that it was a "heritage feature" basically forced upon the developers by the city as a condition of being allowed to redevelop the site — feels like a minor triumph. So far, it seems like there's some decent programming happening there, so hopefully it will endure for a spell.

Settled into the environment, I was well-pleased to hear some good old rock music that would have been right at home in the old Dollar, courtesy of locals SAP. (Their name being fairly ungoogleable, I will note you can find their music on bandcamp here.) The music, under singer-guitarist Rochelle Bulmer's leadership, has some grunge-y elements and a willingness to rock out, abetted by a supporting cast of familiar faces including Patrick Grant on guitar, Jay Anderson on drums, and Paul Saulnier on bass. (The latter also gave a sort of stripped-back parallel approach to his P.S. I Love You project in a solo opening set.)

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: In My Mind

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

PS I Love You - In My Mind

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

Paul Saulnier gave some previews of what we might expect on the follow up to the band's Death Dreams album, and live the new stuff fits in nicely with the band's past work. Saulnier still isn't one to wear his heart of his sleeve, but the guitar solos are as expressive as ever.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: Don't Go

Recorded at The Great Hall (PBR10 – Night 2), September 28, 2012.

PS I Love You - Don't Go

Full Review to Follow. The last time I caught PSI♥U was just on the cusp of the release of Death Dreams, with the band in its three-man incarnation. Reverting to a duo has meant no loss of volume, and Paul Saulnier's double-neck guitar-weilding showmanship is as ace as ever. The real revelation was drummer Benjamin Nelson coming up front for an excellent run through Bowie's "Moonage Daydream", as found on Paper Bag's new, celebratory Ziggy Stardust cover compilation, which you can grab here.

Currente calamo: The Wavelength TWELVE! Festival (Part II)

TWELVE: The Wavelength 12th Anniversary Festival

While it's all fresh in my mind, a few notes from this year's WL Fest. Longer, more comprehensive reviews will follow down the road a piece.

Last year's Wavelength festival had a transitional feel, just as WL itself did in shedding its old skin as a weekly series and trying on new formats like so many hats. But throughout 2011, Wavelength really gained strength, with new blood on the programming team and a willingness to try some new and interesting things. It's befitting, then, that this year's festival was more streamlined (down to four nights) and bold in its lineups, reaching out to some bigger names for the headliners while still mixing in a lot of newer, less-well-known acts. My recap of the first two nights can be found here.

Night 3 @ The Great Hall

Saturday, February 18, 2012. The Weather Station / Off The International Radar / Nat Baldwin / Sandro Perri / No Joy

Not too many bodies in the stately (if somewhat echo-y) Great Hall as Tamara Lindeman took the stage. Her Weather Station project might be best suited for listening to 'round a campfire under a starry sky, but it was a fine table-setter here. It was easier to fill the space now that she's being joined by friends to fill out the songs from All of It Was Mine. Ian Kehoe (of Marine Dreams) and Andrew Barker (her bandmate in Bruce Peninsula) added instrumental textures, while fellow BP'ers Misha Bower and Matt Cully came on for some backing vocals. You don't want to wish a small crowd on any artist, but I'm super-glad it was quiet enough in the hall to lean back and listen to this without interruption.

It's perhaps a little bit surprising that the longest-tenured band at the festival was arguably the one that I knew the least about, but I had never crossed paths before with Off The International Radar. Kudos to the WL crew for putting 'em on the bill though, as this was one of my favourite sets of the festival. Employing electronics and keyboards and filled out with bass and guitar, the first word to come to mind as a descriptive would be "planetarium". The slowburning textures might come off as anticlimactic to anyone waiting for the band to kick into a higher gear, but once I caught the rhythm I felt all my limbs getting heavy and a pleasant, zoned-out sensation come over me. And quite perfectly accompanied by General Chaos' swirling lights slowly shifting away behind the band.

Listen to a couple tracks from this set here.

I've never particularly cottoned to Dirty Projector's brand of decentred contemporary haze-pop, which might explain why I never checked out any of the solo material from DP bassist Nat Baldwin. But here, as he set up for a solo set accompanied only by double bass, I was a little intrigued — if only to see if he'd be able to hold the growing crowd's attention. Limiting himself almost entirely to short-stroke bow work, Baldwin still managed to create enough musical range to accompany his pure-pitched vocals. There were a few mildly aharmonic runs here and there, but his approach hewed closer to popcraft than avant garde-isms. But still not too surprising that the chatter from the back of the room started to pick up as the set moved along. Enjoyable regardless, and a nice little challenge to the audience to pay attention.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Since his album release shows back in November, there's been a little bit of buzz for Sandro Perri, and from the crowd's reaction, you might have guessed that he was the night's headliner. Which is kind of awesome to see for an experimental singer-songwriter backed by a band of all-star improvisers. Balancing woozy keyboard workouts with polyrhythmic accents, I liked it most when the band stretched things out and let it cook. Perri is taking this material on the road soon with some of these musicians who can really do it justice — there's gonna be a lot of acclaim echoed wherever he takes this stuff, but somehow I'm glad to see that this really is getting some hometown love before all that happens.

After that came the shoegazing treatment that Montréal's No Joy excel at. But whether it was their intense volume or the late hour, the full crowd was steadily melting away as they played. No matter, this probably sounded the best of any of the times I've seen 'em — and we were treated to a bunch of new material, building on the strengths of their Ghost Blonde album. As always, the band were rigourously uncommunicative while on stage, but I was glad to see 'em chatting and laughing at the merch table afterwards.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Night 4 @ The Garrison

Sunday, February 19, 2012. Most People / Motëm / Army Girls / Burning Love / PS I Love You

Capping it all off was a night back at WL's Dundas West spiritual homebase. There was a surprisingly vigourous crowd on hand soon after doors, and it just kept getting more and more packed. Certainly more on hand than I would have expected for bedroom popsters Most People. The bearded duo had a laptop on stage for backing tracks, but managed to keep things feeling live with guit, bass and a sundry assortment of drums laid out before them. That gave the songs enough momentum to keep things interesting, even if the overall vibe was more laid-back. Is "post-chillwave" a genre yet?

Amongst the changes in Motëm's stage setup was replacing the candles he had last time with battery-powered versions of same. Whether that was some sort of nod to the meta-artifice of his persona — or even if whether or not what he was doing was meant as ironic artifice — I cannot say. Otherwise, the Hamilton-based swkeee-hopper brought a totally different musical set to backdrop his enthusiastic stage routine. I thought the music was a little tastier, but on the whole, I'm unsure on the persona, and I really can't say that I "get" what the whole routine is about.

After that came the shift from the "pop" to the "loud" part of the night, making Army Girls the perfect transitional agent. Drummer Andy Smith and singer/guitarist Carmen Elle just celebrated two years of playing together, so it's no surprise that they're tinkering and finding new ways to keep the older material interesting. Even better, though, was a bunch of new tunes bound for the band's first full-length that showed no dropoff in quality. All of it was warmly received, and this was the closest I've felt to an audience demanding an encore from a mid-bill band in a while.

Listen to a track from this set here.

I sort of sidled a little further away from the centre of the room after that, as I was expecting some moshing action for local hardcore group Burning Love. And while a big pocket opened up in front of the stage as the band got started, the pit never really took off, just creating a large open area for two or three preening guys to shove and posture at each other while everyone else had to squeeze into a smaller space. Not my idea of fun. But I did like the roar coming from the stage, delivered with wide-legged rock stances from the guitarists and bass player. Chris Colohan, meanwhile, delivered the lyrics with a crouch and a growl, occasionally springing down to prowl around that open area on the floor in front of the stage. Because of the preferred vibe differential, I pretty much never go out of my way to see hardcore shows. But I do like seeing it done well, so this is one more case where I'm glad WL was throwing something like this into the mix.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Up to this point, WL stage manager Adham Ghanem had once again kept things running admirably on time. It was only a balky microphone connection before the last act that kept the festival from having a perfect record top to bottom. Still, this set's slightly delayed start was still more efficient than most any other rock show you could think of, and once PS I Love You got going, no one was kvetching about the wait. It was really satisfying to see the fruits of Paul Saulnier's successful labours in the form of a spiffy double-necked guitar that he played for most of the set. There was also the chance to broaden the group's sound by having old friend Tim Bruton (Matters/Forest City Lovers) on stage, playing keyboards and second guitar. The set was based upon some of the new songs coming out on the forthcoming Death Dreams album, though there were a few older audience-pleasers mixed in there as well. Firery soloing from Saulnier abounded, so there's no doubt that the new album is going to be filled with shreddy goodness. The night — and the festival — were capped off with John O'Regan (a.k.a Diamond Rings) coming out to sing on "Leftovers" and "Facelove" during the encore.

Listen to a track from this set here.

All told, an excellently curated and executed festival. The initially-announced "workshop & speaker series" didn't come together, but even without that it felt like an action-packed long weekend. Many thanks are due to Jonny, Ryan, Kevin, Duncan, Dorice, Adam and Adham — plus General Chaos and all the volunteers who kept things going smoothly. Details about the next few events are already starting to come out, and it looks like there's more exciting things afoot. Thirteen might be luckiest year of them all.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: Princess Towers

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength TWELVE! Festival, Night 4), February 19, 2012.

PS I Love You - Princess Towers

Review to follow, but my quick recap of the festival can be found here. This song has been awarded the coveted CM "Best Jam" citation. Good new tunes — should be an impressive year for the band.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: Sentimental Dishes

Recorded at The Garrison, April 7, 2011.

PS I Love You - Sentimental Dishes

My notes for this set can be found here. The vox are pretty low in this one, but if you treat it as a guitar workshop you'll find it right tasty.

Gig: PS I Love You

PS I Love You (Matters / Motëm)

The Garrison. Thursday, April 7, 2011.

Another show that I headed out to on a last-minute decision. I surely dig the headliner, but it hadn't been that long since I'd saw 'em. But the addition of Matters to the bill made this a must-see. Figuring I wouldn't be the only one thinking that way, I was on hand fairly early on to make sure I got in.

Once I was in, that made for more time, I suppose, to appreciate the fact that the night had been "branded" by some car company. [Deleted: several angry rambling sentences.] If a car company offers you free swag, don't take it! It's soiled and will cause you spiritual damage. [Deleted: further angry ranting about automobile companies.]

Anyway, there was a nicely robust crowd on hand as a figure took the stage and lit the candles on his candelabra, telling the crowd they are about to witness "the Toronto debut of the Motëm ceremony". Hailing from Hamilton, the mysterious Motëm¹ was wearing a toque and plaid and controlled his squiggy electronic music from behind a table full of gear. His performance encompassed a sort of mime/vogue dance style to his beatz, occasionally twisting a knob to make it extra-squelchy and tossing in a slogan here and there ("you better work!", "Let's Get it On").

Just like on the mixtapes he releases, the music segued from one song to the next. But the goal seemed to be more about creating an experience than just playing the music — the whole thing was a mashup of dance music, hip-hop's b-boy stances and performance art. It was kinda goofy/amusing for about ten minutes, but increasingly less so as it went along. Ultimately, this just isn't something that I "get". But no less than John O'Regan — Diamond Rings himself — was front and centre, having a great time, and I know that the cultural sophisticates over at Hype Lighter love this guy to bits, so note well that I'm probably out to lunch on this one.²

The transformation of The D'Urbervilles into Matters was meant to mark a break with the past, but there's far too much of a continuum with what they had become to really see it that way. Or, to put that another way, the biggest changes away from the sound that the band had explored on their first album We Are the Hunters had already been evident for quite some time before the name change. And similarly, this rebooting was obviously in the works for quite a while — back at least to the band's 2010 NXNE appearance, when there were whispers that that could be the band's last show, and they sold off all their old merch. After that came radio silence from the band as the members' other projects kept them busy, but the announcement of their transition to Matters — along with the release of a 7"³ — did manage to get a nice burst of media attention.

Evolution is the sort of thing you might not notice if you're not paying attention, so the attention-grabbing one-two punch of "Cito G/Boys 2 Men", with the tension-release craftsmanship and skittery structure deployed at a bolder level than Hunters-era D'Urbs would probably used might well have taken some by surprise — but those are songs that had been in the band's setlist for a little while now.

The newer stuff matches a sleek synth punch with guitar menace and a bolder sense of swagger. That latter quality would mostly be emanating from frontman John O'Regan, whose on-stage confidence and presence have expanded in tandem with the explosion of his Diamond Rings project. And even though for this show he was makeup-free and rocking the "classic John O." look — complete with black-on-black Jays cap⁴ — he brought a similar sense of all-that attitude.

That would give the performance plenty of verve and a sense of energy, even if it was, in fact, a similar set to the final time I'd seen The D'Urbs, featuring the songs presumably bound for the band's second album. Including their brooding/hi-rev cover of Timber Timber's "Magic Arrow", the nine-song set went forty minutes with no looks back to the first album.

When we'll get to hear these songs again is unknown. Word on the street is that concurrent with this burst of shows the band finished recording that second album, but since then, there's been no official Matters activity. Given everyone's other life and musical commitments⁵, it looks like this is most definitely on the backburner. It's not impossible that the advancement of time and the success of other projects might leave the recordings orphaned as a "lost album" that we'll eventually wonder about in hushed terms — and even as these same people are still amongst us, their collective presence (especially as a powerful live unit) will be missed.

Listen to a song from this set here.

An admiration for Matters was also brought into the headlining set by Kingston's PS I Love You, as singer/guitarist Paul Saulnier was sporting one of their new stickers on his headband — "I feel weird taking the stage after them," he commented.

But as the duo launched into "Meet Me at the Muster Station" and a pretty speedy "Breadends" they were showing they'd earned their headliner chops. Tightly organized, most of the set came in two-song bursts, and even then with only the quickest of pauses between — there was no tentativeness with this well-toured material. "Scattered" drifted a bit, but Benjamin Nelson's snappy drumming on "Get Over" grabbed me back.

When you see a band a few times, it's always interesting to hear the little differences — this time out, there was a whole tonne less vocals in the mix than the last time I saw 'em on the same stage. But there was accordingly more solo-tastic guitar — "Butterflies & Boners" melted faces nicely. Saulnier had also upgraded his foot-actuated bass keyboard to a new Moog model, and I could certainly feel that in my chest throughout the set.

There was also some new material such as "Sentimental Dishes", which mostly followed the same trajectory plotted by Saulnier's past work.⁶ And given the extra microphone over at the edge of the stage, it was no surprise to see John O'Regan — who had appeared on the single version of the song in his Diamond Rings alter ego — come out to add some vocals for the encore's "Leftovers".

Listen to a song from this set here.

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¹ Note the umlaut and the accent are on the second syllable of his name.

² Motëm will be sharing the Garrison stage with PS I Love You once again as part of the grand finale of the Wavelength TWELVE festival on Sunday, February 19, 2012.

³ The release of the single for "Get In Or Get Out" was accompanied by a stylish video directed by Colin Medley and Jared Raab.

⁴ The Blue Jays' own rebranding should give an impetus for a whole new range of sartorial choices for O'Regan — if they haven't already, they should really be hiring Diamond Rings as a merchandise spokesmodel.

⁵ These guys can be seen in Forest City Lovers, Diamond Rings and House League. The latter two both have just wrapped up new recordings, though no word yet on when they'll surface for the listening public.

⁶ PS I Love You have just wrapped up their second album, so hopefully there'll be some more new material previewed when they play the above-mentioned Wavelength Festival show. For the love of Pete, bring your earplugs!

Sunday Playlist #22

Sunday Playlist #22

Let's Wrestle - We Are The Men You'll Grow to Love Soon

Diamond Rings (Featuring PS I Love You) - All Yr Songs

Zebrassieres - Beach Fight

CoCoComa - Water Into Wine

Planet Creature - Ramona

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Sunday Playlist is a semi-regular feature that brings back some of this blog's previously-posted original live recordings for an encore. You can always click the tags below to see what I originally wrote about the shows these songs came from.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: CBEZ

Recorded at The Garrison, October 26, 2010.

PS I Love You - CBEZ

My notes for this set can be found here.

Gig: Diamond Rings

Diamond Rings (PS I Love You / RatTail)

The Garrison. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Having passed some time after the evening's in-store, I thought I was going to be too early on the scene at The Garrison. So I was quite pleasantly surprised as I came in to see RatTail setting up on stage, given how I've enjoyed 'em when our paths had crossed before. Playing to a more robust crowd, singer/guitarist Jasmyn Burke was in a more rambunctious mood than the last time I saw 'em, and bassist Tim Fagan was looking more comfortable with the material. This added up to a more satisfying set overall, even if the band was fighting with the monitors a bit at the start.

Fagan still played a lot of the time with his back to the crowd, and some times even retreated to the far back corner of the stage. He did liven up a sloppy finish to "In Bloom", however, ending the song laying down on the stage. Burke, meanwhile, was somewhere between giddy and tipsy, spitting beer into the crowd at one point and mentioning "We're RatTail!" after nearly every song like it was a protective mantra.

The band is definitely honing in on their sound, based around Burke's jangling guitar and controlled yowl. The thrust of the music is less spiky than when I first heard 'em though the band, it seems, does like countering the hints of pop easiness with tear-it-all-apart recklessness on stage. Still, they brought it together when it counted — there was a very tasty run through "Gas Mask" and "Basic Buildings" was top notch. RatTail continue to evolve and don't seem inclined to settle for easy predictability, which makes for an entertaining time.¹

Listen to a track from this set here.

By the time PS I Love You were setting up, it was a fairly packed house, meaning the band was playing to a much larger crowd than the last time I'd seen 'em here. It looks like relentless gigging and an acclaimed debut album have paid off for the band. Benjamin Nelson (drums) and the titular Paul Saulnier (guitar, bass pedals, vox) bring a full-on rock assault, well-suited to a blastingly loud sound system. As they led off with "Meet Me at the Muster Station", like they had at Soundscapes a couple hours before, I smiled, feeling the music rumbling my chest cavity in a way that the store's smaller sound system couldn't handle. This brought the rock.

Being occupied with guitar and bass pedals, Saulnier isn't too showy while he plays and is generally not too chatty between songs. But that melds well with the straightforwardly uncluttered music. The songs are almost uniformly compact — even when Saulnier throws in a ripping solo, several are done in two minutes and some seconds. "CBEZ" stretched out a bit more — like over three minutes — and felt fully-fleshed out. Some might point to Saulnier's unabashed love of solos and big rock dynamics, but at this juncture, there's no Dinosaur Jr.-esque expansion into extended instrumental passages.

The set was building nicely when frequent collaborator Diamond Rings (in white pants, black leather jacket and shades) came out to add vox for "Facelove", once again celebrating the 7" that started things rolling for both these guys, much to the crowd's approval. That felt like the peak of the set, and placing that with a couple songs left to go might have been a tactical mistake, as there was a bit less momentum after that, especially as Saulnier tackled some of the slower sing-speak-y stuff — although I dug early EP track "Subtle and Majestic" pretty well.

Still, the pair managed to go out in a guitar solo blaze of glory on "Butterflies & Boners" to finish the set on a high note. After a half hour that moved by pretty quickly, the band turned the stage over to the headliner.²

Listen to a track from this set here.

I was actually a bit surprised to see PS I Love You breaking down their gear at set's end — I thought we might get another rockin' joint effort like we've seen in the past when the two performers shared a stage. But it looked like that cameo from John O'Regan would be the extent of the collaborations for the night. This would be all O'Regan's show, then, something of a well-deserved victory lap, celebrating the release of his album in front of an amped-up hometown crowd. Celebrating Special Affections felt like a big deal, a genuine capper after watching the project's somewhat-unlikely ascent over the past year and change.

There were some extra rented disco lights on the stage³ and as John O'Regan set up his gear a cheer erupted each time he triggered the dry ice. Once prepared, he left the stage, only to be replaced by alter ego Diamond Rings. With the audience in his hands, he could afford to start the set on the slowed-down side with "Play By Heart" before kicking it up with "On Our Own".

"Is it loud enough out there?" O'Regan asked before launching into "Wait & See". In fact, it was loud as anything I'd heard in The Garrison, the sound system booming like one of the dance clubs that O'Regan talked about aspiring to be played in. "You Oughta Know", conceived in the memory of dancing at home to live-to-air club broadcasts, was introduced with his genuine hope that sometime it might get played on FLOW-FM.

The set was really hitting its stride, and "Something Else" totally brought the house down. O'Regan paused to enjoy a cupcake from his mom before launching into the wonderful "It's Not My Party", whose saturated synths felt powerful enough to knock me over. The main set closed out with "Show Me Your Stuff", but O'Regan returned to attempt something a little different, playing a guitar-only version of "Actually (I Am a Monster Now)", a PS I Love You cover that he'd tried out acoustically at his unplugged library show. And then back to where it all began, the night wrapping up with "All Yr Songs".

What an interesting trip it's been. I left with a feeling of one chapter ending and another beginning. Nothing is certain in these fickle times for music, but I had the notion I might be seeing fewer Diamond Rings shows in the next year than I had in the past one. I could only wish bigger and better things on him of course, even if it means that in another year's time the local show might be in a far less-intimate spot.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ RatTail was a couple shows coming up during CMW: check 'em out March 10 at The Garrison and March 13 at The Horseshoe.

² PS I Love You will be returning to The Garrison on Thursday, April 7, 2010, at the far end of an American tour and string of upcoming dates at SXSW.

³ This would make for a marked contrast from the show that these two bands had played together at The Garrison a year previously, a celebration of the then-new venue that I didn't make it out to that was noted for the stage being cloaked in near-darkness, the nascent club's lighting system being very much a work-in-progress.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: Butterflies & Boners

Recorded at Soundscapes, October 26, 2010.

PS I Love You - Butterflies & Boners

My notes for this set can be found here.

In-store: PS I Love You

PS I Love You

Soundscapes. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Well, I didn't need to go to this one, given that I was heading down to The Garrison after this for the full gig. But that's okay. I always enjoy stopping in at Soundscapes, where you can get good and close to the artists.

Personnel-wise, there's not that far that PS I Love You can strip down, with Paul Saulnier (guitar, bass pedals, vox) and Benjamin Nelson (drums) being the full complement. And — within the limits of the store's PA system — they didn't cut back on the wailing rock volume they work with. So instead, we got a compressed version of the set that band would be playing later. They lead off with the opening trio of songs from the newly-released Meet Me at the Muster Station before switching things up with non-album single "Starfield". The quick set closed out with "Butterflies & Boners", making for a crunchy little quarter-hour taster of what would be to come later in the evening.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Recording: PS I Love You

Artist: PS I Love You

Song: Breadends

Recorded at the Lower Ossington Theatre (SummerWorks Festival), August 11, 2010.

PS I Love You - Breadends

My notes for this set can be found here.

Gig: Diamond Rings

Diamond Rings (PS I Love You)

The Lower Ossington Theatre (SummerWorks Festival). Wednesday, August 11, 2010.

An early, eager crowd waiting to get into this one, with two well-regarded artists on the cusp of releasing their debut albums. As the doors opened, the crowd swooped in to grab seats. I followed Av.'s admirable example, skipping to the chase and grabbing some floor right up front — this isn't a proper show for sittin'. Checking the setup, I noted that both bands' gear set up on stage, promising a quick turnover between sets — and the possibility of some collaboration.

Paul Saulnier (who puts the "PS" in PS I Love You) took the stage with sweatbands on his wrists, thick laces in his untied sneakers, cut-offs, and a shirt with its sleeves shorn off, looking like it was dropped off at a thrift store after Bruce Banner had a particularly stressful day. They lead off with "Subtle and Majestic"¹ (from the band's self-titled EP) before moving into the songs from the then-still-forthcoming Meet Me at the Muster Station album, each one with its own tasty waves of guitar. "Breadends" and "Little Spoon" made especially strong impressions.

Although the songs are based around Saulnier's axework, he doesn't overdo it — these are quick songs, most lasting less than three minutes. The shred-y moments fold in well to the songs, and the crowd loved the guitar heroics, fingertapping and all. With the guitar and footpedals² to attend to, Saulnier isn't the most voluble on stage, remaining hidden behind an unkempt fringe of hair like a lion's mane, and passing along just a few quick comments between songs. Drummer Benjamin Nelson was likewise also all-business, so the songs had to do most of the communicating here.

Over the half-hour set, the pair played pretty much everything that would be on Muster Station, and ended on a "brand new one", with all the familiar elements in place, and the guitar work perhaps even picked up a notch, a particularly Dinosaur Jr.-esque solo in the middle reflecting Saulnier's growing prowess and confidence.³

Listen to a track from this set here.

And then, more of those people who'd grabbed seats at the outset took to the floor in preparation for Diamond Rings, who was, it would turn out, playing to an increasingly screamygirl demographic. Never one to show up underdressed to one of his own gigs, John O'Regan was in full back-to-back World Series glory, right down to a '92 championship ribbon. That went along with his cut-off shorts and golden leggings, plus fingerless leather gloves. The shortest descriptor for his hair/make-up combo would be "Grace Jones-esque". From show to show, O'Regan gets a little more confident and the stage set gets a bit more elaborate — this time out, there was a fog machine added to the stable.

As usual, the set started off with the keyboard-driven stuff ("Play By Heart", "On Our Own") before O'Regan picked up his guitar, which on this night was a special-occasion Flying V, complete with pink strap to match his nail polish. The big rock guitar added some extra oomph to "Wait & See" and a tearingly electric version of "Something Else". And then, back to the straighter synth-rock, activating the fog machine to try and recreate the vibe of the video for "Show Me Your Stuff" before closing out the main portion of his set with the delicious slow-jam "It's Not My Party".

Listen to a track from this set here.

But that wasn't all. To celebrate the informal first anniversary of the split 7" that had started it all, PS I Love You returned to the stage to join O'Regan on both of the career-launching songs from that single, leading off with "Facelove". Seeing Saulnier standing next to O'Regan always provides a bit of an odd couple vibe, like seeing Frodo standing next to Gandalf, but the mutual support is quite tangible between the musicians. Meanwhile, "All Yr Songs", the first and most familiar of all these tunes, was renewed here as a rough and rangy guitar rocker including a totally sizzling solo from Saulnier.

And then to cap things off, for an encore the combo group debuted a brand new co-write called "Leftovers", featuring driving drums and plenty of room for dual-guitar action. Despite O'Regan taking lead vocals, it sounded much more like it might belong on a PS I Love You album. Regardless, even though both these artists are going to be busy for the next while touring those first albums, it's nice to get an early glimpse of them thinking beyond that already. A fun show.

Listen to a rockin' joint effort here.

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¹ Confidential to women: Any time a guy says, as this song's lyrics begin, "I'm not trying to be / romantic / but I made you this mixtape", he's probably not being entirely truthful.

² The pedals were rather low in the mix for this set, leaving the band's sound thinner on the bottom end than would be optimal.

³ PS I Love You are playing tonight (Dec. 27th) at The Drake Underground, as part of the "Out of the Box" series — five bands a night for five bucks, which is quite hard to beat.

Hottest Bands in Canada, 2010 edition

Once again, I was honoured to be asked to participate in i(heart)music's annual "Hottest Bands in Canada" poll. Within the loose parameters given,¹ I scanned through my past year's blatherings and pulled out my yarrow stalks and came up with the list below.

Just a note on method: As with last year, I basically was totally subjective with my list. I didn't construe "hotness" as the bands that have generated the most buzz or popularity. Instead, I had two key qualifications for my list: a live show that moved me and a 2010 release of consequence. I guess I was thinking about bands that felt, to me, to be really in their moment, which is why their live presence was probably the most clinching factor. I have seen all of the bands on my list live in 2010 — and almost all of them more than once. So that was the highly unscientific ordering principle I was using.

So anyway, without further ado, my list as sent to Matthew. For each artist, I've tossed in one of my recordings from the band's recent work to bolster my argument. #1 is the top and working down from there:

1. Anagram

Anagram aren't going to go out of their way to please you. Like a maniac sitting in the corner giving you a look, their music will sit in one brooding spot — like that guy staring at you until you start to wince. And then there's a spasm of action. And then there's blood on the floor. Purveyors of a low-slung post-punk frenzy, you're as likely to find them playing under a bridge or in someone's basement as in a formal venue, but now with the release of Majewski, their third full-length, you can really get a taste of their raw power.

Listen! Anagram - What a Mess

2. Diamond Rings

Has it only been a year? From the outset John O'Regan's alter ego impressed with his ace 80's flavoured dance-pop singles, but he's managed to expand the persona without diluting his fierce impact. It risks sounding like empty hype or crass flattery to suggest that the trajectory seems ever-upward, but O'Regan keeps bringing more confidence and swagger to his sets, which in turn give him the room to lay out more depth and vulnerability in his songs. With the release of the full-length Special Affections serving as the culmination of this last year's effort, it feels like the next stage in O'Regan's world domination plan (main weapons: rainbows, unicorns) has begun.

Listen! Diamond Rings - It's Not my Party

3. The Hoa Hoa's

One of Toronto's best live bands is staying on top of their game by never resting on their laurels. Even with their latest album Pop/Drone/Pedals less than a year old, the band keeps unveiling new songs at their shows, and a new release should be forthcoming in early '11. The standard-bearers of the Optical Sounds record label/scene are playing increasingly far-flung gigs, and every time they take a trip it causes a net increase in the number of psychedelic journeys wherever they play.

Listen! The Hoa Hoa's - Falling

4. Forest City Lovers

The ever-delightful Kat Burns has put together her strongest set of tunes (on this year's Carriage) and the strongest lineup of the band to date. Live, the band can bring a powerful rock'n'roll energy when required, but never too much to distract from the shy smile at the centre of it all.

Listen! Forest City Lovers - Constellation

5. Hooded Fang

Hooded Fang are a positive force, whether in the bright pop tunes that they deliver on their debut full-length, or in the many community-spirited projects the members have going on the side. And at the same time, they've really managed to get things right musically. What could have been a too-giddy, overstuffed sound has been confidently modulated — mature, but not too grown up.

Listen! Hooded Fang - Laughing

6. Bonjay

Dance-based music is kinda out of my sweet spot, and I don't know from dancehall, but I know kick-ass star quality when I see it. Alanna Stuart brings an electric presence to the stage, but it wouldn't mean much without songs to back it up. Along with beat provider Pho, Stewart does just that on the pair's new EP Broughtupsy, making them as appealing to listen to in their recorded incarnation as they are live.

Listen! Bonjay - Frawdulent

7. The Sadies

Well, what can I add about The Sadies that isn't already widely known? Famed for their powerhouse live shows, the country-surf-twang purveyors have taken longer to get respect for their recorded output, but this year's Polaris-shortlisted Darker Circles seems to have answered that. The Sadies have slowly become an institution, but with their work ethic they don't have a gear where they could just cruise on their rep, meaning that this powerful engine is gonna rev onwards.

Listen! The Sadies - Strange Birds

8. Daniel Romano

This slot could have gone almost as easily to Daniel, Fred and Julie, the folk-revivalist trio that Romano founded with friends Julie Doiron and Fred Squire. But I'm going to take some of the praise I have for that group and add it to this nod to the understated Romano, who has put out of the year's finest albums. His Workin' For The Music Man is filled with been-wronged anger and lonesome yearning, but he won't write a losin' song about it. Instead, he's put on his troubadour hat and headed out into that ever-loving world. Bonus points for his work with You've Changed Records, which has quietly been putting out a string of winning albums.

Listen! Daniel Romano - She Was the World to Me

9. P.S. I Love You

Singer/guitarist Paul Saulnier of Kingston duo PS I Love You fills the stage with guitar and bass (courtesy of foot pedals), bringing a hard-edged rock attack with DOR attitude, suitable for those who want to hoist their beers up in the air but not alienating those who want to dance. The full-length Meet Me at the Muster Station captures the sonic onslaught in a tidy package.

Listen! P.S. I Love You - Facelove

10. Minotaurs

I thought I knew what to expect from Nathan Lawr, once the original drummer for the seminal Royal City, who on his own had crafted three albums of likable, well-written rootsy pop-rock. But as "Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs" has slid into just Minotaurs, the band is now not just a vehicle to present some well-hewn songs so much as a fearsome groove machine, powered with afrobeat horns and percussion. Pretty good as heard on the new album The Thing, but you gotta see these guys live to feel the project's full force.

Listen! Minotaurs - Pink Floyd

Those interested in checking out the results of the whole exercise can see the big list here. And just to wrap up some loose ends, here's some bonus list action:

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Honourable mentions:

• Lisa Bozikovic
• Broken Social Scene
• Eiyn Sof
• Fucked Up
• Mantler
• Owen Pallett
• Rat Tail
• Maylee Todd

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Keeping an eye out for:

I've seen all of these bands put on kick-ass shows in the past year — now I'm waiting for an album to go with it.

• Action Makes
• Canadian Wildlife
• Castlemusic
• Deloro
• Doldrums
• Ethio Stars Band
• METZ
• Snowblink
• $100
• Ostrich Tuning

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No thanks:

Released a dud album and/or played concerts priced out of my range

• Arcade Fire
• Caribou
• Stars

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¹ The guiding principles were:

The only criteria to follow in making your list are

1) the bands/artists must be Canadian (however you want to define that); and

2) you feel the bands/artists were "hot" in 2010 (however you want to define that).

Recording: Diamond Rings

Artist: Diamond Rings

Song: Actually (I Am a Monster Now) [P.S. I Love You cover]

Recorded at Toronto Public Library – Parkdale Branch, October 9, 2010.

Diamond Rings - Actually (I Am a Monster Now)

My notes for this set can now be found here. Full review to follow, but as always, a fine show from the "Make Some Noise" crew at TPL. Paying homage to Nirvana's MTV Unplugged, Diamond Rings played on keyboard and acoustic guitar in a fine intimate performance.

Recording: Diamond Rings

Artist: Diamond Rings (Featuring PS I Love You)

Song: All Yr Songs

Recorded at Lower Ossington Theatre (SummerWorks Festival), August 11, 2010.

Diamond Rings (Featuring PS I Love You) - All Yr Songs

Full review to follow. My notes for this set can now be found here. Fine sets from both of these acts, but the real prize came in the combo segment at the end, where the band played full on, rockin' versions of both sides of their debut 7", chased, as an encore, with a brand new one called "Leftovers".

Preview: SummerWorks Festival 2010

For the third year, Toronto's long-running SummerWorks festival is supplementing its theatrical programme with a Music Series. This year the music portion finds a new home at The Lower Ossington Theatre (100A Ossington), and has expanded beyond just the concert-format shows of the past couple years to include Musical Works in Concert ("an opportunity for creators, composers, and lyricists with a platform to showcase musical work in development ") as well as shows in the Performance Bar (downstairs at the Ossington Theatre) where a bevy of musicians will be special guests to some manner of freewheeling drop-in improv.

It looks like a very well-chosen lineup that you can look over here. Many of the artists — both in the concert series and in the performance bar — will be familiar to readers of this blog, and I feel like I can recommend quite a few of them. Plus, I can back up my words with some live samples to give you an idea of what you might be in for.

If you want to read more about any of these artists, just click on the labels at the bottom of this post.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5TH, 2010

Mainstage: The Hidden Cameras

Leading things off with a two-night stand is one of the city's most theatrical bands, a perfect fit for this Festival. In fact, word is that the band will be doing a theatrical re-interpretation of last year's Origin:Orphan. The band's performances always have the sense of being an event, and this one looks like it might be something special.

Listen! The Hidden Cameras - Fear of Zine Failure (Recorded at the Opera House, December 5, 2009.)

Performance Bar: Allie Hughes

Allie Hughes has transcended past a flirtation with reality TV (as a contestant on How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria) to craft sophisticated pop that's smart enough not to alienate jaded listeners in Toronto's indie scene, daring to be a technically proficient singer in a milieu that often prefers the cough-ahem-authenticity of the rough-hewn.

Listen! Allie Hughes - Headmaster (Recorded at The Garrison, March 5, 2010)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

Mainstage: The Hidden Cameras

see above

Performance Bar: Maylee Todd

Whether performing space-funk workouts with her band Pegwee Power or performing soulful solo jams on her harp, Maylee Todd brings star power to the stage.

Listen! Maylee Todd & Pegwee Power - Aerobics in Space (Recorded at The Drake Underground, March 25, 2010)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH, 2010

Performance Bar: Tasseomancy

Previously known as Ghost Bees, this duo of twin sisters Sari and Romy Lightman transfix with their spare folk stylings. A little bit of off-kilter spookiness that would go down well in any cemetery or haunted house.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8TH, 2010

Performance Bar: Laura Barrett

One of the city's best, Laura Barrett brings her kalimba-powered songs to bear on pressing issues of love, optimism, and other science projects.

Listen! Laura Barrett - Ferryland (Recorded at Jason Collett's Basement Revue, Dakota Tavern, December 22, 2009)

MONDAY, AUGUST 9TH, 2010

Performance Bar: THOMAS / Snowblink

Most recently gaining attention as Owen Pallett's on-stage co-conspirator, Thomas Gill — the band THOMAS' namesake — has in fact collaborated with many local musicians in addition to leading his own combo. With falsetto vocals augmented by Felicity Williams' soulful pipes, THOMAS dares to be soft in the face of a hard world.

The musical partnership of Daniela Gesundheit and Dan Goldman, Snowblink takes a beautiful voice and wraps it in reverb and antlers, then loops more voices around that. The band have been playing some choice new material lately, and often throw in a stripped-down cover recasting a song you thought you knew in a haunting new light.

Listen! Snowblink - unknown (Recorded at Poor Pilgrim Island Show 4 (St. Andrew-by-the-lake Church), July 18, 2010)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11TH, 2010

Mainstage: PS I Love You / Diamond Rings

Singer/guitarist Paul Saulnier of Kingston duo PS I Love You fills the stage with guitar and bass (courtesy of foot pedals), bringing a hard-edged rock attack with DOR attitude. Suitable for those who want to hoist their beers up in the air but not alienating those who want to dance.

Listen! P.S. I Love You - Facelove (Recorded at Wavelength 494, The Garrison, December 20, 2009)

Quickly becoming a sensation, Diamond Rings (a.k.a. John O'Regan of local rockers The D'Urbervilles) has gained notice and rapidly-increasing audiences not because of gimmicks or eye-catching videos so much as from bringing some top-notch pop songs to the stage. Presented with increasing assuredness, O'Regan knows how to meld melancholy bedroom pop with electro-glam bombast, pulling off more than a few anthems in the process.

Listen! Diamond Rings - Something Else (Recorded at Owen Pallett's 30th Birthday Party, Lula Lounge, Sunday, September 6, 2009)

Performance Bar: Grand Analog

Reggae and soulful flourishes complement Odario Williams' ecumenical hip-hop, brought to life with an energetic live band. A guaranteed party-starter.

Listen! Grand Analog - Not Enough Mondays (Recorded at Daps All-Ages V, Kapisanan Philippine Centre, April 10, 2010)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12TH, 2010

Mainstage: The Wilderness of Manitoba

Those who came to folk-rock via Fleet Foxes will find as much to like in this band as those who came to folk-rock via Crosby, Stills & Nash. Featuring warm harmonies and banjo, this band has advanced their craft pretty rapidly in a fairly short time. (appearing with The Mountains & The Trees, Entire Cities and The Weather Station)

Listen! The Wilderness of Manitoba - Evening (Recorded at The Garrison, January 21, 2010)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2010

Mainstage: Picastro / Evening Hymns

The two adjectives that come first to mind when describing Picastro would be "sleepy" and "downer" — this is not music to listen to while operating heavy machinery. But there's a melancholy beauty in the slowly-spun arrangements behind Liz Hysen's songs. Highly recommended for those who don't finch in the face of interiority.

Listen! Picastro - Hortur (Recorded at Wavelength 500 (night 4), SPK Polish Combatants Hall, February 13, 2010)

Jonas Bonnetta's Evening Hymns, meanwhile, also have a bit of a haunted quality to them, evoking ghost-filled forests and abandoned cabins. Working in a roots-y vein, Bonnetta is capable of creating striking music on his own, but fleshed out with a band works toward a ragged grandeur.

Listen! Evening Hymns - Dead Deer (Recorded at the Out of This Spark 3rd Anniversary Party, The Garrison, January 22, 2010)

Performance Bar: Nifty / Bob Wiseman

A one-man band with a laptop and bin full of electronics, Matt Smith (a.k.a Nifty and/or Nif-D) is also a master of the looping pedal, folding layers of his own vocals into his real-time electronic compositions. Equally capable of creating ambient soundscapes and dancefloor bangers, Nif-D never plays the same set twice.

Listen! Nif-D - Centre of Gravity excerpt (Recorded at Centre of Gravity, November 21, 2009. Bite Your Tongue #2)

Returning to the music programme after presenting his musical/theatrical hybrid "Actionable" in last year's SummerWorks, activist, bon vivant and Canadian music legend Bob Wiseman may bring some or all of these elements to this show: guitar, accordion, keyboards, storytelling, outrage, short films, love songs.

Listen! Bob Wiseman - The Disappearing Trick (Summerworks Festival (Factory Studio Theatre). Saturday, August 15, 2009)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 2010

Mainstage: Bocce / RatTail

Last chance to dance! As kinetic and mildly chaotic as the sport that they are named after is not, this synth-rockin' crew will probably leave the Lower Ossington Theatre in a sweaty mess.

Listen! Bocce - Disco Juan (Recorded at Lee's Palace (Friends in Bellwoods 2 release party), Friday, August 28, 2009)

Purveyors of a smartly-torqued indie-rock sound, trio RatTail features guitarist Jasmyn Burke's vocals, with a flattened monotone affect that veers off into yelps, as the most immediately arresting element in their arsenal. They fit well against the lean post-punk groove of the music, with Ryan Mounsey's bass often seizing the melodic lead space against the slashing guitar lines.

Listen! RatTail - George Mounsey (Recorded at Wavelength P.S. Kensington, May 30, 2010)

Recording: P.S. I Love You

Artist: P.S. I Love You

Song: Facelove (feat. Diamond Rings)

Recorded at Wavelength 494, The Garrison, December 20, 2009.

P.S. I Love You - Facelove

My notes for this set can be found here.