Recording: Phèdre

Artist: Phèdre

Song: Swipe

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 3), February 19, 2017.

Phèdre - Swipe

The festival's last blast saw the stage stripped of the previous night's drumkit and stacks of amps — no surprise, as this was co-presented with Silent Shout, putting the accent on electronic rhythms and just a few dance grooves. Adding their own shiny foil and projections to the mix, Phèdre closed things out as if they were hosting their own post-apocalyptic guerrilla street party. Hinting at their next evolution, the pair brought out a series of rappers (Han Han, Casey Garcia, Arowbe and Lil Gae) to throw down on some new tracks, including an all-in posse cut. They had plenty fun when they were on their own, too, as this ode to Tinder suggests.

Recording: HanHan

Artist: HanHan

Song: Kailan Kaya

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 3), February 19, 2017.

HanHan - Kailan Kaya

The festival's last blast saw the stage stripped of the previous night's drumkit and stacks of amps — no surprise, as this was co-presented with Silent Shout, putting the accent on electronic rhythms and just a few dance grooves. After seeing HanHan take over the dancefloor at Long Winter, I had a bit of an idea what was in store for this set — though that made me all the more excited to watch her win over a crowd (who mostly didn't know her stuff) cheer her like a seasoned headliner by set's end. Again sharing space with a trio from the HATAW dance crew, this was a high-energy, closely-choreographed set that was a joy to behold. And HanHan's tracks have choruses that you can sing along to, even if you might have to wait 'til you get home to read up on her empowering lyrics.

Recording: Emay

Artist: Emay

Song: Bakkah: The History of Humankind

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 3), February 19, 2017.

Emay - Bakkah: The History of Humankind

The festival's last blast saw the stage stripped of the previous night's drumkit and stacks of amps — no surprise, as this was co-presented with Silent Shout, putting the accent on electronic rhythms and just a few dance grooves. This Hamiltonian producer + MC was the night's key discovery for me — I was taken with his cerebral flow right from the start, but when he dropped a Leonard Cohen sample I was fully convinced. Although there were some bip-bap rappity-rap tracks, Emay's main mode was more in the realm of woke sleepwalking, dropping rhymes with eyes closed as if he were dreaming the lyrics as he paced up and down the stage. As the track title here implies (and on the rest of his brand new Ilah album), he's got his mind on the macro, looking at the cosmic big-picture.

Recording: FIN

Artist: FIN

Song: Opula

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 3), February 19, 2017.

FIN - Opula

The festival's last blast saw the stage stripped of the previous night's drumkit and stacks of amps — no surprise, as this was co-presented with Silent Shout, putting the accent on electronic rhythms and just a few dance grooves. The open stage created more room for General Chaos' swirling visuals to stand out, and Rebecca "Fin" Simonetti (a savvy visual artist herself) worked with that, taking the stage all in white. Expatriated from the city, it's been a treat to see her back in town for a couple gigs lately and on this night she seemed to bring some extra energy to her tracks. They'll finally be getting a life off the stage as well, with the imminent release of Ice Pix.

Recording: Hush Pup

Artist: Hush Pup

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 3), February 19, 2017.

Hush Pup - unknown

The festival's last blast saw the stage stripped of the previous night's drumkit and stacks of amps — no surprise, as this was co-presented with Silent Shout, putting the accent on electronic rhythms and just a few dance grooves. With Hush Pup playing as a duo on this night there was some extra room on stage as well. That didn't throw the band off their pace as they shared their ethereal textures and 4AD dreams. The band's rhythms evoke more swaying than outright dancing but they're at their best when the songs lose all contact with terra firma and start to float skyward.

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

Recording: North Atlantic Drift

Artist: North Atlantic Drift

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Drone Brunch), February 19, 2016.

North Atlantic Drift - [excerpt]

An interesting little sonic and social experiment offering a juxtaposition of the clatter of plates, the clink of cutlery and the murmurs of conversation with some ambient sounds. Watching the brunch crowd in their natural environment, there'd often be a moment of realization a minute or two after they sat down that there was live music being performed on stage. It all seemed to fit together into a reasonably cozy zone. Seguing seamlessly in from the previous set, North Atlantic Drift mapped some icy Eno-esque seas of before slipping into more of a Vangelis zone, as if the brunch crowd were stopping into Blade Runner's Los Angeles 2019 for their eggs benny.

[You could expect some drone-drifty sounds (and less background chatter!) at Wavelength's Don't Speak II show, this Saturday (March 18th) at The Baby G. Performances from Kyle Bobby Dunn, Off World, Bomb & Body and Zone Support in an environment where talking is forbidden.]

Recording: Kat Estacio

Artist: Kat Estacio

Song: [edited excerpt]

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Drone Brunch), February 19, 2016.

Kat Estacio - [edited excerpt]

An interesting little sonic and social experiment offering a juxtaposition of the clatter of plates, the clink of cutlery and the murmurs of conversation with some ambient sounds. Watching the brunch crowd in their natural environment, there'd often be a moment of realization a minute or two after they sat down that there was live music being performed on stage. It all seemed to fit together into a reasonably cozy zone. Kat Estacio (also of Pantayo) played first, mixing MIDI sounds with some kulintang gongs — as well as some curls of quiet feedback seeping in from the mics. That might have given the set a slightly different timbre than originally intended, but it helped to give it the feeling of a warm, fuzzy sound-blanket.

[You could expect some drone-drifty sounds (and less background chatter!) at Wavelength's Don't Speak II show, this Saturday (March 18th) at The Baby G. Performances from Kyle Bobby Dunn, Off World, Bomb & Body and Zone Support in an environment where talking is forbidden.]

Recording: Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys

Artist: Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys

Songs: You Wanted What I Wanted + Farther From You

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 2), February 18, 2017.

Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys - You Wanted What I Wanted

Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys - Farther From You

Without the inexpensive energy-drink RSVP crowd jamming the place early on (and the return of General Chaos' swirling lights) this felt like a proper Wavelength. Programming-wise, this was the "rock" night, giving things a proper Saturday night feel. This collaboration between Julie Doiron, the Cancer Bats' rhythm section and Eamon McGrath has been a part-time affair for five years now, so it's exciting to see it entering a new phase. Retreating to collaborate on some new songs, there's now an album in the can and the band was eager to showcase them in this set. That lead to some new elements — more than just Doiron's songs being covered with an extra dollop of heaviness, there were signs of a group dynamic emerging. Joking that she was jacked up on Altoids and lozenges, Doiron embraced the raw punk fury of these songs. With a fully-stocked merch table and everything, there's apparently more to look forward to, whenever this album makes its way out into the world.

Recording: Fake Palms

Artist: Fake Palms

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 2), February 18, 2017.

Fake Palms - unknown

Without the inexpensive energy-drink RSVP crowd jamming the place early on (and the return of General Chaos' swirling lights) this felt like a proper Wavelength. Programming-wise, this was the "rock" night, giving things a proper Saturday night feel. Now with an EP to go along with their debut album, Fake Palms were a little evolved and streamlined since I last saw 'em. Still working more in the terrain of dynamics than hooks, things are nevertheless a bit more pulled apart — that means there's a bit of room to explore in these sonic rooms, even if the walls still come at you with the force of an onslaught of sound.

[Fake Palms will be playing the last night at the Silver Dollar on Sunday, April 30th with METZ and New Fries.]

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

Recording: FET.NAT

Artist: FET.NAT

Song: Caquette

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 2), February 18, 2017.

FET.NAT - Caquette

Without the inexpensive energy-drink RSVP crowd jamming the place early on (and the return of General Chaos' swirling lights) this felt like a proper Wavelength. Programming-wise, this was the "rock" night, giving things a proper Saturday night feel. I'd been told the past few times that Hull's FET.NAT were in town that they were a band one simply had to catch live, and this first exposure proved that to be the case. Clearly an unknown quality to most of the crowd, they elicited headliner-level approval by the end of their relentlessly-entertaining set. With no wave sax spatters, mousetrap bass grooves and catscratch guitar, this had plenty hints of the agitated funk tradition of groups like The Contortions. The selling point as a stage spectacle was the agitated collection of gesticulations from monsieur J-F No, a frontman with the right sense of absurdity (and what we might call un soupçon du jambon) gleefully mocking the band and the crowd, all while marshalling them with a series of Wile E. Coyote-esque signs and occasional bullhorn interventions.

Recording: WHOOP-Szo

Artist: WHOOP-Szo

Song: Genocide

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 2), February 18, 2017.

WHOOP-Szo - Genocide

Without the inexpensive energy-drink RSVP crowd jamming the place early on (and the return of General Chaos' swirling lights) this felt like a proper Wavelength. Programming-wise, this was the "rock" night, giving things a proper Saturday night feel. These Canadian Shield space rock road warriors sounded absolutely huge in the Garrison's PA, with thundering drums and thrumming keybs creating a howl of hurt and redemption. With a lot of conceptual heaviness on the topics their songs address, it's no wonder they're worried about when rock'n'roll is gonna soothe their souls.

[WHOOP-Szo are back in town next week (Wednesday, March 22nd), playing alongside Fresh Snow at the Horseshoe.]

Recording: Helena Deland

Artist: Helena Deland

Song: Aix

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 2), February 18, 2017.

Helena Deland - Aix

Without the inexpensive energy-drink RSVP crowd jamming the place early on (and the return of General Chaos' swirling lights) this felt like a proper Wavelength. Programming-wise, this was the "rock" night, giving things a proper Saturday night feel. Montréal's Helena Deland started the night, leading off on her own, delivering her sentiments at a mellow saunter before being joined by a band to amp things up a bit. Her uncluttered arrangements mostly putting the focus on her lyrics, but there was still room for some classic rock flourishes, like the outro to this one.

Recording: Peeling

Artist: Peeling

Songs: Away From You^* + The Model [Kraftwerk cover]

Recorded at Monarch Tavern (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Girls Rock Camp Toronto All Ages Matinee), February 18, 2016.

Peeling - Away From You

Peeling - The Model

An absurdly-beautiful spring-like afternoon saw the patios filling up along College Street — very unusual Wavelength festival weather. The mood was equally warm inside the Monarch, where this afternoon show was co-presented with Girls Rock Camp Toronto. I was happy to get a chance to catch Peeling close out the afternoon, as I hadn't seen the band since they reformulated and re-emerged last summer from their previous incarnation as Mexican Slang. Currently playing as a five-piece, Dilly Dally's Jimmy Tony Rowlinson is still a foil for singer-guitarist Annabelle Lee, but there are some new faces in the mix, including Alana DeVito (formerly of BB Guns, more recently playing solo as Bobbypin) up front adding some guitar power. The sounds are a little more textured now, the pop hooks less hidden behind the fast-crumbling wall of fuzz that featured with Mexican Slang. There's even room for a bit of groovy swagger, as heard here in a cover of "The Model" that undoubtedly owes at least as much to Big Black's take as its icy original version.

^* I do believe this was the title called out before the song, but it's subject to confirmation.

Recording: WLMRT

Artist: WLMRT

Songs: Jumps + Brainfeel

Recorded at Monarch Tavern (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Girls Rock Camp Toronto All Ages Matinee), February 18, 2016.

WLMRT - Jumps

WLMRT - Brainfeel

An absurdly-beautiful spring-like afternoon saw the patios filling up along College Street — very unusual Wavelength festival weather. The mood was equally warm inside the Monarch, where this afternoon show was co-presented with Girls Rock Camp Toronto. This quintet brought some youthful punkrock energy to the afternoon — "punk" in the way the genre is based as much on being bored and watching TV as it is on smashing the state. That manifested in songs about podcasts and skateboarding, delivered with a sly smile, manic energy and synth-fuzz around the edges — WLMRT are the sort of punks whose audience blow bubbles at them. Enormous fun that you can check out through some lo-fi recordings on their bandcamp.

Recording: Strands

Artist: Strands

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Monarch Tavern (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Girls Rock Camp Toronto All Ages Matinee), February 18, 2016.

Strands - unknown

An absurdly-beautiful spring-like afternoon saw the patios filling up along College Street — very unusual Wavelength festival weather. The mood was equally warm inside the Monarch, where this afternoon show was co-presented with Girls Rock Camp Toronto. After the first set, the curtains were drawn, blocking out the daylight to present Rosalie H. Maheux's overhead projection art, a key component of this duo with vocalist Jasmyn Burke (who was between bursts of continuing touring with Weaves). Each song was an integrated audio-visual statement, with the loops and lyrics manifested in the images, and projected Jasmyn clones popping up like backing singers.

^* The obvious guess for the title to this one would be "For Certain" — but I'll leave it blank 'til I can confirm that. Please leave a comment if you know the title!

Recording: Denim Roses

Artist: Denim Roses

Song: We Hate Cake

Recorded at Monarch Tavern (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Girls Rock Camp Toronto All Ages Matinee), February 18, 2016.

Denim Roses - We Hate Cake

An absurdly-beautiful spring-like afternoon saw the patios filling up along College Street — very unusual Wavelength festival weather. The mood was equally warm inside the Monarch, where this afternoon show was co-presented with Girls Rock Camp Toronto. This crew of past campers set the tone for the day and were truly an inspiration, both for their "We Can Do It!" moxie as well as their let's-have-fun bonhomie. The highlight of the set was this somewhat controversial take on a favourite dessert.

Recording: DIANA

Artist: DIANA

Songs: Moment of Silence + Slipping Away

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 1), February 17, 2017.

DIANA - Moment of Silence

DIANA - Slipping Away

I hadn't seen this group in action since the release of sophomore album Familiar Touch and their evolution into a seven-piece smooth-groove machine. Insisting on playing with the expanded lineup means that the album's lush arrangements are fully able to breathe on stage, especially with top-notch players like Thom Gill and Ivy Mairi in the fold. But the real star of DIANA 2.0 is vocalist Gary Beals — if Carmen Elle is the pitcher putting in a strong start, Beals is the lights-out closer, sealing the deal with a joyful rush of energy. A triumph of going big and amping things up without losing the attention to detail in the musical textures, this was a pretty glorious set.

Recording: Vallens

Artist: Vallens

Song: Consent

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 1), February 17, 2017.

Vallens - Consent

Though technically in the "down" time working on new material for their second album, Vallens are popping up enough on good local bills to serve as a reminder that they're one of the city's best right now. Cranked up in the Garrison's sound system, there was a nice balance between Robyn Phillips' guitar (sometimes bold and assertive, sometimes drifting dreamily) and Marta Cikojevic's keyb work.

Recording: Chandra

Artist: Chandra

Songs: Tish Le Dire + A Day Without Success

Recorded at The Garrison (Wavelength SEVENTEEN – Night 1), February 17, 2017.

Chandra - Tish Le Dire

Chandra - A Day Without Success

An action-packed leadoff to this year's Wavelength festival, with the first of a couple local all-star ensembles. Drawing from Bile Sister and friends in their orbit, Chandra's backing ensemble now features Julie Reich and Vic Cheong (vox), David Jones (keyb), Penny Clark (guit), Nyles Miszczyk (bass) and Jesse Locke (drums). Even playing first, they had a chance to play to a pretty full room, as the night featured discounted admission to RSVP-ers from an energy drink company (and, apparently, a long line down the block of folks hoping to get in).

With this occasional partnership stretching out over a few years now, the group were a firing on all their new wave cylinders behind Chandra Oppenheim — who herself also looked a bit more relaxed on stage, now and then dancing a little and allowing a faint smile that suggested an understanding between the self of her now and the teenaged one who had originally penned these songs. Besides featuring the songs from the reissued album, the group also tackled the unreleased "A Day Without Success", which is apparently an unreleased demo track from that era.