Monday, January 20, 2014

Sunday mass

I don't get out to shows on Sunday much nowadays. Well, there aren't too many Sunday shows, but more important, I now try to get up at 6 a.m. on weekdays for school. However, even without the need to rise early, I'd have been at Gabba Hey last night to check out Red Mass. They've always put on a killer show and even an eight-hour drive from Toronto couldn't dampen their spirits.

First on the floor were Throes, a jazzy, noisy outfit featuring Chris MacDonald (Mouthpiece/Four Frames, Boom Creek) on keys and Lee Galway on drums. They also had some saxophone for this outing, so I guess technically this was their Death Bop Project with Karla-Jo Trudgen.

Throes at Gabba Hey

Alto action!

Throes at Gabba Hey

Lee hits!

Throes at Gabba Hey

Chris mans the keys.

Throes at Gabba Hey

Shadowy action!

Throes at Gabba Hey

Backlit action!

Throes at Gabba Hey

On to Heavy Mental, a noise operation featuring Pierre Richardson of Bruised Tongue fame (he's also appeared on the blog solo as Self Surgery).

Heavy Mental at Gabba Hey

Knob-twisting action!

Heavy Mental at Gabba Hey

Pierre sings!

Heavy Mental at Gabba Hey

Bass action!

Heavy Mental at Gabba Hey

Well, you get the idea.

Heavy Mental at Gabba Hey

On to Red Mass. Once again, they were operating as a quartet, with Hannah L. Is Dead and Choyce on keys and guitar, and a killer rhythm section featuring folks I didn't recognize. Here's Choyce!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

Hannah sings!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

The whole lot!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

Shoutalong action!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

Percussive action!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

More shouty action!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

Space-rock guitar action!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

More rhythm!

Red Mass at Gabba Hey

As always, a killer set.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Cold War kids

As some folks may know, I was born in 1970, which puts my formative music-appreciation years in the early-and-mid 1980s. Those were good (or bad, depending on your taste) years for synth music. Like many a young Ottawan I had Eight Second's Where's Bula drilled into my brain, along with possibly toxic levels of exposure to groups like a-ha, OMD and ABC. Although it didn't last (the influence of friends pulled me more in the direction of AC/DC, Joan Jett and Motorhead), I still have a fondness for those synthetic sounds - my most listened-to release of 2013 is undoubtedly the Cosmic Machine comp of French synth acts. Synth music seems to be enjoying a renaissance these days. On to the reason for this post, Montreal's Rational Youth. The Montreal combo were part of synth rock's first wave, and got a bit of chart time with songs like No More and No Less and Bang On. Keyboardist and Brand New Waver Kevin Komoda apparently found a heap of old tapes from his old outfit and talked Tracy Howe into hitting the road one more time, along with his Plunt-mate Brian Arsenault, Tracy's wife Gaenor and the oh-so solid rhythm section of Paul Grainville and Scott Cameron (of Normals fame). Apparently they're big in Scandinavia, so they hit a few dates there before returning to Canada for their first show in Montreal in 27 years earlier this month. Saturday night, they were at Zaphod's, performing for a few young 'uns and a bunch of folks in their 50s.

First up, Riishi Von Rex. The last (and only) time I saw Riishi was also at Zaphod's back in November 2009. Four and a half years later, she still reminds me of P.J. Harvey. This time around she also had a drummer, Michel, on hand. She's hosting a rock'n'rolll night the first Sunday of the month at the Rainbow, too.

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Michel hits!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

The whole lot!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Riishi sings!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Singing drummer action!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Tapping action!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

The end!

Riishi Von Rex at Zaphod Beeblebrox

On to Rational Youth ... well, they aren't quite youth nowadays, but they sounded very solid and were definitely into it. They started things off "unplugged." With just the keyboardists Brian, Tracy and Kevin. Here's Kevin!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

The Youth of today! Brian, Gaenor, Paul, Tracy, Scott and Kevin.

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Brutish action with Brian.

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Darn it, forgot to take any decent photos of Scott Cameron!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Tracy claps.

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Gaenor provided some extra percussion and backing vocals.

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Kevin sings!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Gripping action!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

More Paul!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

The end!

Rational Youth at Zaphod Beeblebrox

Great night, and a treat to hear City At Night, the prescient Dancing On The Berlin Wall and Saturday in Silesia again (also Holiday in Thailand, Man In Grey, and others).

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Fall and rise

I zipped over to Pressed Saturday night to check out some more metal. Among the most glaring omissions of local bands from the blog, I'd say grindcore devotees Fuck The Facts are near the top of the list. I still haven't seen them, but I figure it might count the same if I manage to catch the various members other projects ... no? Well, it was worth a shot. At any rate, FTF's Topon Das kicked things off in a decidedly non-grinding mode with some pedal manipulation, and Black Oak Decline and The Great Sabatini completed the ear-drum-pummelling evening.

Topon twists.

Topon Das at Pressed

"Now go home and play with your delay pedals."

Topon Das at Pressed

Up next, Black Oak Decline. The name automatically makes me think southern rock, but don't expect any washboards from this crew, which was first put together by frontman Mike Raymond; I also know drummer Tony from manning the door at Zaphod's. Here's Mike, starting things off with some serious feedback.

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

Bass action!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

The whole loud lot!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

More camouflage!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

Tony hits!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

Mike sings!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

More bass!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

Extra Tony!

Black Oak Decline at Pressed

Unfortunately their bass amp died after four songs or so ...on to The Great Sabatini after the jump!

Saints and sentries

It's been a busy week for me, what with school starting up, thus the short delay in posting stuff from Friday's show at Luneta Cafe. It was an eclectic evening, kicking off with shoegazers Destroy Clocks, continuing with rugged fuzz poppers Saint Clare and concluding with instrumental metallurgists The Night Watch. Unfortunately I missed Destroy Clocks due to a late-night school project, so let's go straight on to Saint Clare.

The band takes its name from former Shakey Aches frontman Matthew Saint Clare, and also includes Richard Jeffrey and Ryan Shannon from that band. They profess fandom for Arcade Fire and various Elephant 6 combos. I thought they sounded like some of Spencer P. Jones' stuff.

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

Saxophonic action with Morgan Grant!

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

Bumpy action!

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

That's Daniel Devries on the drums.

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

Richard Jeffrey of Golden Famile and others rocks the Telecaster.

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

Matthew sings!

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

Extra Richard!

Saint Clare at Cafe Luneta

On to The Night Watch after the jump ...