Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Bluesfest: Dry River Caravan

From the indie dance rock of Fevers we go to the Balkan dance rock of Dry River Caravan. I just got a bit of their performance, but they were certainly pleasing the small crowd of early show-goers.

Matt Smith works the bouzouki, while Raphael Weinrothe-Brown (last seen with Musk Ox) mans the cello. Drummer Liam Smith sings a bit.

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

I feel like I've seen Weinrothe-Brown quite a bit in the past year; he was also drumming for Argus Panoptes.

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Squeezing and singing from John Cockburn.

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Robin Meyer-McLeod adds some clarinet.

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Bonus bouzouki!

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Extra Liam!

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Caravan action!

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Contemplative non-action from Dan Grewal!

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

The end!

Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Another fine effort. Their next show is in Montreal Dec. 7 at L'Escalier.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Bluesfest: Fevers

Day 1 of Bluesfest was pretty good, and Day 2 was no slouch either, thanks to some hot local groups and a couple of old hands who would have fit in snugly with Bluesfest's original intentions. But I'll yak about Charles Bradley and Super Chikan later. Up first is Fevers. Granted, I caught a bit of Carly Rae Jepsen first, but I had a cowbell for more Fevers, so I went over to the River sage to watch them soak up the rays pretty quickly.

Martin Charbonneau works the keys, Mike Stauffer hits the skins!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Sarah Bradley sings!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

More keyboard with Colin MacDougall!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Clapping action with Jim Hopkins!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

More Mike!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Tetris, anyone?

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Mandolin action!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

It was mighty sunny out there.

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Singalong action!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

More Sarah!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

More electronics!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

The whole lot!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Teeth-gritting action!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

And finally, some rhythm section action!

Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

After a very busy year, they're now prepping a new album for release in Spring 2013.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Bluesfest: Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg has been through Ottawa a few times. I seem to recall him being slated to play Barrymore's back before I was the live music fan that I am now. I've been a fan of his music for some time though - I used to have all his CDs in college (they vanished during a move, near as I can tell), so it was no decision at all to see him perform solo on the Black Sheep stage. Unfortunately, this also meant hearing the popular thud of Tiesto from over the hill. I was not happy about this, and neither was Bragg. "I don't care if it's got great big mouse ears, it's still disco!"

Mr. Bragg in black and white.

Billy Bragg at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

And so on!

Billy Bragg at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Now in colour.

Billy Bragg at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

He was sporting a red square in solidarity with striking Quebec students.

Billy Bragg at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Entertaining, despite the sounds interrupting from the main stage.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Unhallowed eve

I knew there was one place I wanted to be Saturday night: Cafe DeKcuf, where a sensational lineup of local and imported bands of the heavy metal persuasion were on hand to get heads banging at a Doomed Halloween show. Monobrow and Muffler Crunch alone should be enough to get discerning local fans of heavy rock out of the house, but throw in hotly tipped West Coast heavies Witch Mountain and fellow travellers Castle and you've got a bargain. That's not to slight Thought Process, who rounded out the bill, as they themselves pointed out "None of you know who we are."

Up first, Monobrow, who played an as-usual killer set, plus a couple of new tunes that sounded just as good as their other stuff - maybe with a bit more in the way of time changes? Here's some rhythm section action ...

Monobrow at Cafe DeKcuf
Monobrow at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

And man of mystery Paul!

Monobrow at Cafe DeKcuf
Monobrow at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Now, if you want Halloween costumes, you need to check out skeletal duo Thought Project, whose barebones bass and drum sound made me think of Godheadsilo. Under that greasepaint is Ian Vance formerly of Boom Creek.

Thought Project at Cafe DeKcuf 
Thought Project at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

And here's drummer Isaac McFaul, ditto on Boom Creek, though more recently he's been manning the skins for Pretty Little Death Machine.

Thought Project at Cafe DeKcuf
Thought Project at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

And here's another duo, the mighty Muffler Crunch. Angie Barbarian got done up as a scary suburban housewife clown ... or something like that. Luc sported his usual brown pinstripes.

Muffler Crunch at Cafe DeKcuf
Muffler Crunch at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Guitar-raising action!

Muffler Crunch at Cafe DeKcuf
Muffler Crunch at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Now on to the out-of-towners, starting with Castle, who really tore it up with their occult doom. Elizabeth Blackwell is a pretty sharp frontwoman, and I like Mat Davis' stripped-down guitar sound quite a bit.

Castle at Cafe DeKcuf
Castle at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Al McCartney rounds out the trio.

Castle at Cafe DeKcuf
Castle at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Witch Mountain slowed things down with some monster doom trudge. They're another female-fronted band, and have received quite a bit of publicity of late. Here's Uta Plotkin on the microphone, with drummer Nathan Carson and bassist Neal Munson.

Witch Mountain at Cafe DeKcuf
Witch Mountain at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

And guitarist Rob Wrong, well-lit by the lights bouncing off his well-stocked pedalboard.

Witch Mountain at Cafe DeKcuf
Witch Mountain at Cafe DeKcuf, October 27, 2012

Definitely an evening of quality entertainment.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Bluesfest: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Here's Exhibit A in "not everyone's musical tastes are the same." Grace Potter & The Nocturnals got a bunch of raves all round. I watched them for a while, thought they were pretty entertaining, then wandered off. I suspect I'm becoming jaded ...

Ms. Potter, herself.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

She's certainly an emotive singer.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

And here are some Nocturnals, including drummer Matt Burr and guitarists Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco (I think left and right ... hard to tell under the hair).

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Extra Yurco!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Headbanging black and white action!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Extra Grace!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

More guitar!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

Tambourine action!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

And a bit more Scott.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012

I'll try to get a snap of bassist Michael Linbramento next time they come through town ... I suspect they'll be getting another invite to Bluesfest soon.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Through thick and thin

I've been away from town for a few days, vacationing in lovely Nelson, B.C. (where I actually caught Sun Parlour Players and Kalle Mattson performing at the Royal), but now I'm back, just in time to catch the departure of Sylvain Lajoie's Bacon Fat nights at Mugshots. Sylvain is headed to Montreal, but he wrapped things up nicely, inviting H. de Heutz, a new duo of Hull post rockers, scene veterans J'envoie and Montreal combo Ultrathin to bring down the curtain.

First up, H. de Heutz. Olivier Fairfield of J'envoie plays drums and some keys, accompanied by a bassist. I had bundled up since I was under the impression that they might still be performing in the courtyard. There was nothing there but a tour group when I walked in, so I just followed the sound of the soundcheck to the bar proper.

H. de Heutz at Mugshots
H. de Heutz at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

Olivier multitasks!

H. de Heutz at Mugshots
H. de Heutz at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

On to J'envoie. It's been quite a while since I saw them live - the end of March 2006, to be precise. In that time they've released the fab La Vitesse de Chats Sauvage, and were handing out free copies at the show. Here's the 75% of the band who are not Olivier.

J'envoie at Mugshots
J'envoie at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

More multitasking ...

J'envoie at Mugshots
J'envoie at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

Finally Ultrathin rocked it out with some psychedelic hardcore sounds. Unfortunately they didn't have any of their record for sale ... well. at least I managed to get some Psychic Handshake stuff from them. Bassist Mark likes standing on stuff.

Ultrathin at Mugshots
Ultrathin at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

Drummer Brett and  guitarist Shaun round out the trio.

Ultrathin at Mugshots
Ultrathin at Mugshots, October 25, 2012

Super sounds all around.
  • Show reminder: Last weekend of October means the Halloween bashes are kicking off. Diemonds is in town with Black Stone Hearts, Doll, Descendant and Hellbros at the Black Monkey; Ghetto Blaster, Cerebral Scrub?, MGD, Lost Youth, Mudplots and CHE play the Legion for Halloween Horroshow 2012. Carvello, International Maniac Institute and Four-Stroke perform at Cafe DeKcuf. Asile is releasing their new record at the House of Targ, along with Shackles, Police Burial and Occult Funeral. Departures and Cannon Bros. arrive at Raw Sugar; Detroit punks the Hand Me Downs and Allan Chaarouai (of Lazzy Lung fame) perform at Zaphod's. Rydell, Live the Story, Neighbours and Worn, The Grey are at Club SAW; Nobody's Fool and Redneck Limousine roll into the Rainbow; The Brothers Chaffey play Irene's; the Elmdale hosts The Sweet Mack with openers The Long Distance Runners and The Seasick Mommas.