Toronto – Memory Tapes is the alias of Dayve Hawk, which may or may not be the greatest name ever. Hawk used to be part of the band Hail Social, the band that produced two pretty good songs – Get in the Car and Hands Tied. It should come as no surprise that his Memory Tapes has taken off recently, where chilled out electronic tunes like Bicycle and Today is Our Life has found a home on the ipods of as many Williamsburg hipsters as you can find. Chillwave jokes aside, the band has put out more than a few good tracks in the past year and Bicycle is a soaring example of this. It’s got a great beat and an amazing synthy conclusion. Have a listen.
Memory Tapes plays the Wrongbar tomorrow night. Here is the event page.
Toronto – It’s been a month since English band The Horrors released Skying, their third full length release. After listening to it on a fairly consistent basis for the past few weeks, I can say that the album is freaking good and one of the better albums I have heard this year.
It’s invigorating to see a band like The Horrors transform themselves from a silly goth band known for being on the Mighty Boosh to a full blown rock act that has given us two exceptionally good albums in the past two years. The growth in their music has been phenomenal and it is shown on full display in Skying. The single “Still Life” has been out for awhile now and I’m sure a lot of people have heard it, but I’m also sure a lot of people have not heard it. With a laid back vocal deliveries barely glazing over washed out synthesizers and a subtle brass section, “Still Life” sounds like it could have been one of those timeless classics you would find on some random Creation Records compilations in the ’80s. Definitely have a listen to this one, it’s quite good.
North American tour dates:
9/7 Vancouver, BC – Venue
?9/8 Seattle, WA – Neumos
?9/9 Portland, OR – Musicfest NW
?9/12 Pomona, CA – Glass House
?9/13 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
?9/15 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
?9/16 San Diego, CA – Casbah
?9/17 Tucson, AZ – Plush
?9/19 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
?9/20 Dallas, TX – The Prophet Bar
?9/21 Austin, TX – The Parish
?9/23 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
?9/24 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
?9/25 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
9/27 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
?9/28 Montreal, QC – Cafe Campus
?9/30 Washington, DC – Black Cat
Toronto – The Coasts are Eric Mount and Ike Peters. They have an album with what appears to be a white tiger on it. Ike is apparently a copywriter from Little Rock. That’s about all the information I can find about them. What I do know is that “Handshakers” is an infectious track that has a nice Southern rolling beat, playful horns and a great feel good vibe. Makes me think of convertibles, milkshakes, sun dresses and walks in the park. You can also listen to their debut album on their bandcamp site. Check it out.
Toronto – Apparently there is a Toronto choir collective who have been getting together every week since February to sing covers of classic rock songs. They are called Choir! Choir! Choir! and I first encountered them on Thursday for the Summerworks Opening Party. Comprising of over thirty individuals, Choir! Choir! Choir! is what it is, a bunch of people singing songs you enjoy loudly. I found the experience to be completely charming (except for the drunk theatre people screaming at the band) and I like the idea of a choir covering classic tracks. They have done many covers which you can find on their soundcloud page. This is a cover of Slade. Check it out.