(Toronto) From June 10th - 15th the Worldwide Short Film Festival graces the movie screens here in Toronto with the best that the world and Canada has to offer in the short film department. One of the programs they have is called Scene Not Heard, which is a collection of funky music videos. It’s happening at the Royal on College street, which I have been told, has the best sound in the city because during the day the theatre acts as a mixing studio. Plus they have kick ass seats. In the line up this year you will be able to see:

100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Black Mirror - Arcade Fire
Challengers - The New Pornographers
Dr. Love - Bumblebeez
Our Hell - Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
Evil Bee - Menemona
Temporarily In Love - Group Sounds
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Myriad Harbour - The New Pornographers (another one?)
Invincible - Muse
Come And See - Young Galaxy
Enjoy The Ride - Morcheeba
Happiness - Goldfrapp
You, Dog (Kidz Are So Small) - Deerhoof
Like A Rolling Stone - Cornelius
Pigs - Aesop Rock
Run - JT
Ready For The Floor - Hot Chip
Something Good ‘08 - Utah Saints
DVNO - Justice
Wanderlust - BBBBBBBBjork

So yah, it is like a super dooper episode of The Wedge that costs $10. Scene Not Heard, Friday, June 13 @ 7:00 and then again at 9:30.

Gravity Wave

(Toronto) For those who don’t know, every few months the Steam Whistle Brewery hosts a concert series called Unsigned, where, you guessed it, bands who are not signed entertain the Pilsner happy beer crowds that gather. Although the location of the show (The Steam Whistle Brewery, right beside the CN Tower and SkyDome) is a bit out of my typical Annex walking show radius, I decided to make the hike downtown to check it out. A couple of things I learned about this Unsigned series:

1. It is only $5, and that one payment at the door goes to charity, gets you a drink ticket and if you are fast enough, a free slice of pizza. Plus, additional drinks are only $4. Those are east coast booze prices.

2. The charity is the Artists’ Health Centre Foundation(AHCF). This foundation helps artists who have been injured and who might not be covered by OHIP. Since most artists are self employed, they don’t have health plans. For example if you make your money as a dancer and some jack ass runs into the back of your foot with their cart at Loblaws and injures you so that you can’t dance, the AHCF will help you out. By dancer, I don’t mean stripper, but I suppose even they could get help from the AHCF.

First up on the bill was Hexes & Ohs from Montreal. A pretty impressive looping, drum playing, girl bass busting two piece outfit from Montreal. They cranked out Whadaya Know?, which I was really looking forward to. I was familiar with this track since it has gotten some recent CBC3 airplay over the past couple of years. It rocked and left me with warm fuzzies. The rest of their set was tight with Edmund switching between instruments and Heidi sticking with the solid bass lines.

Next up was Bocce. I missed most of them. I was busy getting beer and more ice.

Headlining the show was Gravity Wave (The). I first heard of Gravity Wave about a year ago when he played at Sneaky Dee’s. A friend of a friend had told me that Gravity Wave (Ken Farrell) teaches little kids how to play hockey and that he makes music with his Nintendo. Cool. Ken started his set off this night with an interactive video rap-off which didn’t really hit with the crowd. It required people to shut the fuck up and actually pay attention for more than 5 seconds. Which they didn’t.

The Gravity Wave stage show and sound has definitely changed over the last year. The most obvious difference would be that Mr. Wave has added a full band to back him. Even a trombone. This has given him a bigger sound. Although bigger, I feel like the subtleties of his sort of electronic music were lost in the shuffle. Songs like Princess where you are waiting for the Jump, Fireball sequence lost their catchy, cutesy, admiration. Even Footprints seemed to blend into the other songs, where on his Maytr’s Brrigade CD (available for download on his site) is a stand out track. Ken has a great unique voice and a stand out rock star confidence about him when he performs, rubber boots and all.

The night was caped off by a couple of Steam Whistle yahoos who introduced the bands and hosted the evening. At one point I think they threw T-Shirts into the crowd as if it was the seventh inning stretch at a J’s game. Whatever. Still a good night and worth the trip downtown.

 

 Gravity Wave - Emirates (2007): Play Now

Head on over to Wilcoworld and listen to three nights of Wilco performances in St. Louis (May 15, 16 and 17th). Makes for some good listening. (via Chromewaves)

Just Friends is a record label based out of Halifax. It was started up by two guys, Mat and Dave. These two guys also host a radio show/podcast called Lets Get Baked With Mat and Dave. The hour long show consists of Mat and Dave, in the kitchen, cooking up a meal with a different musical guest each week. As far as musical guests go, Mat and Dave have the Canadian scene covered. A quick glace at past shows includes Immaculate Machine, Jenn Grant, Jill Barber, Buck 65, and Ninja High School. Chances are if you are a Canadian band and have played a gig in Halifax, then you have been on Lets Get Baked.

As far as Just Friends artists go, I am going to so some pushing for Laura Peek And The Winning Hearts. Laura was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago for the Over The Top Festival. When I noticed that she was going to be in town, I rushed down to her show at the last minute to see what I could catch, and to also pick up a CD. When I got to the church, the girl working the door told me that I had missed her set and that she didn’t bring any CDs with her. I have since received Lauras’ latest release, From The Photographs (2007) compliments of Laura herself. It is fantastic.

What to write about Laura Peek? Ummm “…piano pop from a charming musical hostess…” is a good place to start. I would describe it as hotel lounge pop. Simple, catchy and memorable. Lots of piano and lots of Laura. On The Verdict, she throws in a hint of an electric guitar to give the song a little bit of edge. Stand Right There is a head bopper with a solid bass line.

If you want to hang out,
You can give me a shout
But its not a possibility

Yah, i’ve known girls like this before. She probably only dates musicians too. Her album art/press photos are fantastic too. If you have a look through her press photos on her site, you will see some pretty fantastic dresses, much like the ones in the Stand Right There video below. Sharp.

Quote from Laura: As far as band news goes, my old bass player relocated to Montreal so I have a new one: Mike O’Neill! This is super exciting for me because I love Mike and his music.

Also check Just Friends cast member, Brent Randall & His Pinecones. Have a look for his latest release We Were Strangers in Paddington Green out some time soon.

Do yourself a favour and watch this.

(Toronto) Mates Of State could shit in a box and I would give it a good review. I guess everybody has that one band or artist that they consider their own. Like you were the only person listening to them and going to their shows when you couldn’t even find their show listings in the weekly paper. I am that way with Mates Of State. It seems that over the past seven years, MOS have been playing, if even at the lowest decibel, somewhere in the background of my life. Work parties, road trips, birthday parties, house warnings, cottage retreats, you name it. Would you believe that a woman told me she was leaving the country to be with another man on the night of a MOS show? For some weird reason, I think the situation made my adoration for MOS them even stronger.

Mates of State are husband and wife duo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. Both lend their talents in the vocal department, with Kori mainly on the keys (B-3 electric organ, Casio synthesizer, Rhodes electric piano and the plain old boring piano) and Jason on percussion (drums, glock and triangle). The two have been making music since 1997 and are from the booming metropolis of Lawrence, Kansas. This latest release is very piano heavy. Gone is the characteristic MOS Casio synthesizer and electric organ that molded their sound on their early records. In their place is a pounding piano with the typical strong drum line and pop harmonic melodies.

According to Pitchfork, MOS “…have basically made an album to cook dinner and do the dishes to (5.1).” I would agree with them, but I would like to add that while you do your dishes and cook dinner, you can also make coffee, tap your feet, consume alcohol, throw a party, dance, make love, sudoku, print out your resume, jog, finish your taxes, punch somebody, feed your cat, repair your lawnmower, compliment somebody, get a tan, eat rice, change a light bulb or write a dirty word on the mirror when you come out of the shower.

The only thing I find missing from this release is the bare naked slow ballad that will make your eyes water up. For example, Bring It Back had Nature and the Wreck and Team Boo had Separate The People. Even the All Day EP had Drop The Anchor. For Re-Arrange Us, the closest that they come to this is on Lullaby Haze (Blue And Gold Print comes a close second/maybe first?)

4.5/5

» Read the rest of the entry..

 

 Mates Of State - Now (2008): Play Now