Recording: Cots

Artist: Cots

Song: unknown^* + Pineapple Shoes [John Southworth cover]

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

Cots - unknown

Cots - Pineapple Shoes

Steph Yates lead off this second Tranzac fundraiser event in solo mode, just voice and spare guitar presenting some songs from her recordings as well as some newer developments.

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

Recording: Cots

Artist: Cots

Songs: Bitter Part of the Fruit + Salt or Sand

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 24, 2022.

Cots - Bitter Part of the Fruit

Cots - Salt or Sand

It was a real joy to finally get a chance to see Steph Yates performing the songs from her Cots project — her Disturbing Body album was a definite fave last year, when chances to see live shows were thin on the ground. For this set (as on the album) she was joined by Josh Cole (bass) and Blake Howard (percussion) to flesh out tunes that ranged from bossa nova lightness to a sort of jaunty slowcore — and pleasingly, there were a couple new ones in the mix as well, so hopefully this project will continue to develop.

Recording: Cupcake Ductape

Artist: Cupcake Ductape

Songs: unknown^* + Get Over It

Recorded at SPK Polish Combatants' Hall (Long Winter 5.1), December 2, 2016.

Cupcake Ductape - unknown

Cupcake Ductape - Get Over It

The night's best set came from this sparkle punk side-project from Guelph's Alanna Gurr (Alanna Gurr and the Greatest State) and Steph Yates (Esther Grey). Sounding like LiLiPUT getting giggly at a sleep-over party, the back-and-forth vocals were a shambling/goofy bumper car ride, and sheer delight through each short songburst.

[Long Winter continues on Friday, January 6th, 2017 at the Gladstone Hotel with a night featuring music from Han Han, Jessica Moss, LA LUNA, The Magic, M.I. Blue, Nautiluss, Queen Of Swords, Tough Age and WHIMM. It's all-ages and PWYC as always, but do note the new location — arriving early or buying a ticket in advance is recommended. Also, Steph Yates will be one of the participants at The Music Gallery's The New Flesh event — a "circuit-bending, generative audio-visual presentation" on Saturday, January 21st, 2017.]

[This is a mix with a recording by Brandon Caswell Douglas, who has some video posted from this night.]

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

Recording: Esther Grey

Artist: Esther Grey

Song: The Body of a Healer

Recorded at The Great Hall ("Long Winter – Year 2 Volume 1"), November 8, 2013.

Esther Grey - The Body of a Healer

Full review to follow. The first season of Long Winter shows developed their sensibility as they went along, but a second go-round gives a chance to plug into — and expand upon — an existing template. This time 'round, The Great Hall was even more stuffed to the gills. The main hall and conversation room stages were running in tight tandem, meaning you could (and I did!) basically watch music continuously all night long. But on top of that, there was a third stage in the restaurant, plus a full separate slate (including a live talk show) in the basement BLK BOX, to say nothing of the art interventions scattered throughout the space.

As always, it was a fairly wide-ranging night. An exciting ALL CAPS discovery, I'd been meaning to catch this Guelph combo again for more than a year. Since I saw them then, they've doubled in size, adding sax and bass, and that added layers of sophistication to their jazzy pop. But they were still having a good time on stage, and though they have careful arrangements I dig the fact that they don't mind of things fall apart a little bit from time to time in proper rock'n'roll fashion. Guitarist Steph Yates brings complex shadings to her vocals, and — as a new 7" attests — that can be applied to the songwriting as well.

Recording: Esther Grey

Artist: Esther Grey

Song: Surf 'N' Turf^*

Recorded at Artscape Gibraltar Point (ALL CAPS! Festival), August 11, 2012.

Esther Grey - Surf 'N' Turf

Full review to follow — but you can check out my quick notes for the festival here.

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