Recording: Kamancello

Artist: Kamancello

Song: [set 2, 2nd piece]

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall, January 17, 2018.

Kamancello - [set 2, 2nd piece, part 1]

Kamancello - [set 2, 2nd piece, part 2]

Having been following this duo from before they had a name, it's been rather pleasing to see the partnership of Shahriyar Jamshidi and Raphael Weinroth-Browne flourish, now with an album to their credit. Mixing Jamshidi's kamanche (an Iranian bowed spike fiddle) with Weinroth-Browne's cello, there's a tangible chemistry here, leaving audience members shocked that all of this music was spontaneously composed, with Jamshidi finding plenty of nooks and crannies to explore while Weinroth-Browne moves from heavy metal shredding to lush romanticism.

[Shahriyar Jamshidi will be playing a set of solo kamanche at the Canadian Music Centre on Saturday, February 17th — an early show starting at 5 o'clock!]

Recording: U of T Chainsaw Ensemble

Artist: University of Toronto Chainsaw Ensemble

Composition: Poème symphonique [excerpt] [composer: György Ligeti]

Recorded at the U of T Faculty of Music (Lobby), January 17, 2018.

University of Toronto Chainsaw Ensemble - Poème symphonique [excerpt]

Unlike its percussion and saxophone counterparts, so far as I know this student ensemble does not wield any actual chainsaws. (Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.) But under the guidance of Greg Oh they are exploring "Experimental Contemporary Techno-rhythms", including this notorious Ligeti piece written under the influence of (or possibly as a satire of) the fluxus movement. It directs the ensemble to set up no less than one hundred mechanical metronomes, start them up as close to simultaneously as possible, and then wait for the whole thing to wind down.

Like any live performance, this execution was subject to variation and the inspiring possibility of error, so this took a turn for the amusing/transcendent in the endgame when, after ninety-nine metronomes had wound down, the final one kept on tickin', forestalling the end of the piece until its twenty-plus minute solo had ended. (Closer examination after the fact seemed to point to that metronome being double-wound.) The quietly-percussive textures were similar to the sound of a rock tumbler or microwave popcorn, becoming strangely-compelling as that last wand kept ticking and ticking, drawing in some of the more committed witnesses and earning bemused reactions from passers-by — and revealing a playful, social layer underlying the piece's musical conception. This excerpt (trailing off on the approach to that long finish) is very much a field recording, meaning there's plenty of background conversational murmurations and other general to-ing and fro-ing in the cavernous music building lobby.

Recording: Marker Starling

Artist: Marker Starling - I'll Be Around

Songs: I'll Be Around [The Spinners cover] + Shadows and Counterparts

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), January 13, 2018.

Marker Starling - I'll Be Around

Marker Starling - Shadows and Counterparts

Chris Cummings' artistic ascendance continues with the release of his new Anchors & Ampersands album. Like its predecessor, a lot of the achievement here is in the selection of materials and the arrangements, but whereas I'm Willing fits into the classic "covers album" mould, its new companion is something more akin to a self-reappraisal, with several reduxed versions of older songs, now presented in all their widescreen glory with lusher arrangements and more confident vocals.

As in the past, Cummings returned to The Tranzac's Main Hall to use the floor to accommodate an extra-large ensemble — there were no fewer than sixteen musicians throughout the night (if I was able to keep track correctly!) with up to fourteen of them on stage at once. That meant augmenting the core unit (of Jay Anderson, Matt McLaren and Andrew Scott) with lush backing vocals (from Robin Dann, Ben Gunning and Alex Samaras, as well as special guests Ryan Driver and album producer Zack G) and a horn section (Jay Hay, Jeremy Strachan, Lina Allemano). And then to complete the spectacle, the members of opening band Bunny joined in for the set's last songs. All told, a worthy celebration of one of the city's best songwriters — and now with his back pages thoroughly re-examined, it's exciting to anticipate what's going to come next.

Recording: Bunny

Artist: Bunny

Songs: One Less Heart + Fat City (feat. Marker Starling)

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), January 13, 2018.

Bunny - One Less Heart

Bunny feat. Marker Starling - Fat City

I'd missed the release party for Bunny's superb self-titled album, so I was glad to see them reprising their role as openers at another Marker Starling release. There was a slightly-reshuffled lineup behind Drew Smith and the anchoring rhythm section of Jay Anderson and Andrew Scott with Lane Halley (Hooded Fang, Bart) sitting in on guitar as well as a now-rare Dan Werb sighting behind the keybs (although he did, indeed, play a lot of the keybs on the album). There was a tasty selection of material from the new album, and to close things out, Chris Cummings (another of the album's guest performers) came out to sing this new one to which he'd provided lyrics inspired, I'm given to understand, by the John Huston film.

Recording: Cameron/Newman/Parkinson

Artist: Allison Cameron/Kurt Newman/Stephen Parkinson

Song: [excerpt from first piece]

Recorded at Array Space, January 11, 2018.

Allison Cameron/Kurt Newman/Stephen Parkinson - [excerpt from first piece]

This trio set, though filled with non-linear clucks and cackles, hewed to the quieter side of things, forcing listeners to lean in to catch the mysterious sounds. Allison Cameron had her crackle synth in addition to her usual variety of implements while Kurt Newman forewent sludgy feedback goop in favour of plucks from an unamplified acoustic guitar. Meanwhile, it was a delight to once more hear those familiar (but recently absent) tap/scratches from Stephen Parkinson's guitar.

Recording: Allison Cameron

Artist: Allison Cameron

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Gladstone Hotel's Second Floor Gallery Space (MFS Listening Station Tape Salon), January 6, 2018.

Allison Cameron - [excerpt]

As a part of the Listening Station I assembled as part of Long Winter's "Toronto's Musical Undergrounds" Myseum exhibition, I put together a little afternoon gathering for people to listen to (and leave with!) some tapes. There was also a short performance from Allison Cameron, who often mixes in found sounds from cassettes in her improvised sets. For some bonus dramatic flair, the performance took place behind an illuminated gauzey curtain, left over from another of the event's installations, adding that mysterious je ne sais quois to the proceedings.

Concert Listings Roundup #236

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

---

Gig of the week:

Pleasence Fest and Podcast Launch (feat. WHIMM / ZONES / Moon Eyed / Doom Tickler / Feel Alright / WLMRT / Don't Bother / The Famines) / Smiling Buddha 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

After the January lull, we're headed back into the thick of it, concert-wise. Saturday's one of those just-plain-wacky nights you can get in this city, with at least a half-dozen excellent gigs on tap. With the volume of current and alumni bands on hand, this one takes gig of the week honours by a whisker. After a transitional year, Pleasence is re-asserting its presence with a jam-packed night with bands on stages upstairs and down at the Buddha.

---

This week's noteworthy shows:

Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddleback (Trails / King Kimbit) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-02-05 (Monday) [FB event]

A Justin Haynes Quartet [Felicity Williams/John Oswald/Ryan Driver/Justin Haynes] / The Emmet Ray 2018-02-05 (Monday) [FB event]

Nick Fraser Quartet w/ Tony Malaby [Is Life Long? CD release!] / The Rex Hotel 2018-02-05–2018-02-06 (Monday–Tuesday) [FB event]

Track Could Bend #35 (feat. The Bim Prongs & {AN} EeL / N A V I / Love Children of the Apocalypse) / Belljar Café 2018-02-06 (Tuesday – PWYC!) [FB event]

Bill Gilliam/Kayla Milmine/Ambrose Pottie / Burdock Music Hall 2018-02-06 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Wax Turnip Time (feat. Karen Ng/D. Alex Meeks/Chris Pruden/Mike Smith) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-06 (Tuesday – early!) [FB event]

SlowPitchSound / Burdock Music Hall 2018-02-07 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Cindy Lee (Deliluh / Anamai) / Lula Lounge 2018-02-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

Haunted Summer (LOLAA / Akage No Anne / Ace Of Wands) / Smiling Buddha 2018-02-09 (Friday) [FB event]

Casper Skulls [Mercy Works exhibition & release show!] (Vallens / smut) / Super Wonder Gallery 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Burn Down the Capital presents (feat. Efrim Manuel Menuck [solo set from founding member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion] / KGD [Kevin Doria of Growing and Hiss Tracks] / Off World) / D D L 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Audio Bleed (feat. Knurl / Hybrid Frequency / Fillspace) / Belljar Café 2018-02-10 (Saturday — PWYC!) [FB event]

The Music Gallery and Native Women in the Arts present the Kwe Performance Series: Mother Tongue (feat. Joanne Shenandoah / Salia Joseph & Kwiigay iiwaans / Nelson Tagoona) / 918 Bathurst 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

The Greggies [record release!] (Terror Lake / Cursor) / Handlebar 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Alpha Strategy (Catholic Wilt / Greydini / SGVBR iii) / The Baby G 2017-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Arkose [Rob MacDonald/Torrie Seager/Michael Rosie Rosenthal/Erik Ross/Jesse Dietschi] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Ancient Shapes / Smiling Buddha 2017-02-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

Somewhere There's Second Sunday Series (feat. Kieran Maraj / cheryl o & Meghan Cheng) / Array Space 2018-02-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

Brodie West Quintet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-11 (Sunday) [FB event]

---

Add these to your calendar:

Reminder: This post only contains this week's updates — the full listings can always be found over on the right-hand sidebar!

Ornate Ornette (feat. Andrew Furlong/Alexei Orechin/Germaine Liu/Nelson Moneo) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-13 (Tuesday – early!) [FB event]

Music By & For Ken Aldcroft XIV (feat. Dave Clark [solo] / Dave Clark/Tania Gill/Karen Ng/Tom Richards) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-14 (Wednesday) [FB event]

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble [Kahil El'Zabar/Corey Wilkes/Alex Harding] [45th Anniversary Tour!] / Remix 2018-02-16 (Friday) [more info]

John Kameel Farah / Redwood Theatre 2018-02-16 (Friday) [FB event]

Solo sets (feat. Matthew Daher / Karen Ng / Andrew Furlong / Laura Swankey) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-02-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

Stereoscope / Canadian Music Centre 2018-02-22 (Thursday – early show @ 5:30 p.m.!) [FB event]

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival (feat. John Oswald [talk] / Divergence Trio [Emily Denison/Susanna Hood/Scott Thomson] / So Long Seven) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-02-23 (Friday) [more info]

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival: Composing for Improvisors [works by: Brian Abbott, Bea Labikova, Zach Clark] (feat. Brian Abbott/Zach Clark/Bea Labikova/Kayla Milmine/Cheryl O/Heather Saumer/Joe Sorbara/Kristen Theriault/Laura Swankey) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-02-24 (Saturday – matinée!) [more info]

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival: Circuits Bending Frames ["an evening of film and video by Laurie Kwasnik"] (feat. Jonathan Adjemian/Ryan Driver/Christine Duncan/Paul Dutton/Tiina Kiik/Laurie Kwasnik/Mani Mazinani/Wes Neal/John Oswald/SlowPitchSound/Laura Swankey) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-02-24 (Saturday) [more info]

ZOO OWL [single release!] (Bad Passion / Cherry Blaster) / Handlebar 2018-02-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Long Winter 6.4 (feat. Brenda / KYLO / Ziibiwan / Casey MQ / Dre Ngozi / NOYFB / Macbeth II) / Workman Arts 2018-02-24 (Saturday – all ages! PWYC!) [FB event]

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival [open rehearsal + performance!] (feat. Trombone Quartet [Tom Richards/Heather Saumer/Doug Tielli/Nebyu Yohannes]) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-02-25 (Sunday – matinée!) [more info]

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival (feat. Luan Phung Quintet [Luan Phung/Julian Anderson-Bowes/Matthew Chalmers/James Hill/Chris Rennie] / Heraclitus Akimbo / Holger Schoorl Ensemble [Holger Schoorl/Jonnie Bakan/Chantal Cornu/Emily Denison/Bea Labikiova/Paul Newman/Patrick O'Reilly/Heather Saumer) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-02-25 (Sunday) [more info]

The Music Gallery presents Emergents II (feat. Duo Holz / VC2) / 918 Bathurst 2018-03-02 (Friday) [FB event]

Venus Fest Presents PILL (Eyeballs) / Smiling Buddha 2018-03-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

Patsy's Rats (First Base / Tough Age) / Smiling Buddha 2018-04-04 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Recording: Babygirl

Artist: Babygirl

Song: Everything's Happening Without Me

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Babygirl - Everything's Happening Without Me

This charmingly-earnest dreampop crew closed out the night with a set of catchy heart-on-sleeve laments. Doing a good line in Alvvays-esque jangle, they were at their most intriguing when there were hints of a slightly more shaggy Sarah Records-type sound at the edges.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

Recording: Tashme

Artist:

Songs: What's It Worth? + 09/11/1973 + Charade + Vicio^*

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Tashme - What's It Worth? + 09/11/1973

Tashme - Charade + Vicio

The night's punkrock energy was supplied by this local hardcore unit, named after a WWII-era internment camp for Japanese-Canadians in British Columbia. Some of their songs are pushing against the loudfast template, with tempo shifts and "rock" breakdowns amongst their squealing punk velocity (which was supplied, somewhat incongruously, by an elegant-looking 12-string electric). Not too much social media for the band, but they have several demos worth of music to give away on their bandcamp.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

^* Thanks to the band for passing along the titles to these songs!

Recording: Matthew Progress

Artist: Matthew Progress

Song: Le Fog

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Matthew Progress - Le Fog

Matthew Progress and his Slumber.Magic.War posse brought a bouncing set of house-powered hip-hop tracks to the ballroom. There's a strong visual flair in his videos and an EP on its way soon.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

Recording: Luge

Artist: Luge

Song: Platinum Baby

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Luge - Platinum Baby

As the night's designated rock band in the ballroom, Luge obliged with some "Actual Rock 'n' Roll", complete with their usual amount of hyperkinetic shifts and surrealistic reverses.

[Luge will be playing the Wavelength Winter Festival (alongside Odonis Odonis, Freak Heat Waves, Tough Age and Kurt Marble) on Saturday February 17th. Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

Recording: Kojo 'Easy' Damptey

Artist: Kojo 'Easy' Damptey

Song: Me Ne Wo b3 ko^*

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 6.3), January 5, 2018.

Kojo 'Easy' Damptey - Me Ne Wo b3 ko

Hamilton-based Damptey got things going in the ballroom with his mix of soul/funk and hip-hop — and on this set closer he paid tribute to his Ghanaian roots hit a taste of highlife.

[Long Winter will return on Saturday, February 24th at Workman Arts with music from KYLO, Ziibiwan ᓯᐱᐘᐣ, Casey MQ, Dre Ngozi, NOYFB and Macbeth II, plus the usual abundance of art experiences, PWYC and all-ages as always.]

^* Thanks to Kojo for passing along the title to this one!

Recording: Bachelard

Artist: Bachelard

Song: [last section]

Recorded at Belljar Café (Track Could Bend #34), January 2, 2018.

Bachelard - [last section]

A top-notch modular synth strategist, Heidi Chan brought a dazzling array of gear — and no pre-assigned patches — in a set that meticulously explored the potential variations in each new sonic element as she built zig-zagging soundworlds from the ground up.

[Track Could Bend returns to the Belljar Café on Tuesday (February 6th) with sets from Bim Prongs & {AN} EeL, N A V I and Love Children of the Apocalypse.]

Recording: LUKA

Artist: LUKA

Songs: For My Visitor [from a poem by Ryōkan] + Fugitive Song (a response to Rainer Maria Rilke)

Recorded at Belljar Café (Track Could Bend #34), January 2, 2018.

LUKA - For My Visitor

LUKA - Fugitive Song (a response to Rainer Maria Rilke)

Setting aside his own observations, Luke Kuplowsky took a different songwriting tack in presenting a beautiful set of songs with the words mostly drawn from the poetic fragments left behind by the 18th century hermit-monk Ryōkan. He was backed by an incredible band that included Alex Lukashevsky, Evan Cartwright, Josh Cole and Felicity Williams (who has followed up this appearance with some more prestigious gigs). The songs ranged from quiet meditations like the first song here to more rambunctious takes like the second, which had me staring at the Belljar's front door as I had this strange sense that a horn section could have burst in from the street at any second to join in. These songs had only been aired in public once before, and it's inconceivable that they won't be heard again.

[LUKA will be playing the Burdock with Trace Mountains and Rachael Cardiello on Wednesday, April 11th. Track Could Bend returns to the Belljar Café on Tuesday (February 6th) with sets from Bim Prongs & {AN} EeL, N A V I and Love Children of the Apocalypse.]

Recording: tendencyitis

Artist: tendencyitis

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Belljar Café (Track Could Bend #34), January 2, 2018.

tendencyitis - [excerpt]

Mira Martin-Gray's electroacoustic improvisations mix noise and feedback through no-input mixer manipulations. Sometimes sounding like the poetic ruminations of a fax machine, there's a surprising array of melodic fragments lurking under the surfaces of these squealing soundscapes. This set was also the celebration for the release of a CD-r on Detroit-based Queer/Femme experimental digital label Bastard Girl Utopia, itself part of a burgeoning solo discography.

[Mira Martin-Gray will be participating in this Sunday's Audiopollination, with friends and strangers mixing their sounds together to find common ground. Track Could Bend returns to the Belljar Café on Tuesday (February 6th) with sets from Bim Prongs & {AN} EeL, N A V I and Love Children of the Apocalypse.]