In prog we trust

CKCU 93.1 FM is holding a festival of progressive music today featuring Nathan Mahl, Orco Muto (a must for all Goblin fans), Red Sand and Ambisonic at Carleton University in the Kailash Mital Theatre. As a warmup some local prog bands and Montreal's Black Feelings deployed a variety of spacious sounds at Irene's. The first band up was Matt Oxley of Crazy Ocean and Nervous System's new project. Or perhaps it was one of the aforementioned bands. I don't know since I got there as he and Pierre Richardson were breaking things down.

Black Feelings were up next. The Montreal trio have a singing drummer and like their delay and reverb - they were still making sounds a good 10 seconds after they put down their instruments when everything was over. Owain Lawson and Kyle Fostner come from Les Angles Morts, they're joined by Brian Mitchell on bass. I've also seen Owain when the Crystal Cliffs came through town. I've heard the words "noisy freakout" bandied about in reference to Black Feelings. I thought they were pretty restrained, though that may say more about me than them. Something about them made me think of Dead Meadow, though they're less psychedelic rock focussed.


Black Feelings at Irene's, October 23, 2009

The band whose name is a symbol played some really heavy duty riff rock and sounded great, including their "sort of" Status Quo cover.


The band whose name is a symbol at Irene's, October 23, 2009

Castor brought things too a close with their jammy spacerock. They too sounded sharp - I wish I didn't have to wait a year-and-a-half between shows, but I guess the mothership only passes by Mother Earth every so often.


Castor at Irene's, October 23, 2009

This was also a fundraising show for CKCU ... don't forget to dial and donate!

• Show reminder: Bloodshot Bill and The Hand Cuffs get greasy at the Elmdale House. Slo Tom and The Handsome Devils play Irene's; Bruce Peninsula, Brothers Chaffey, The Allrights and Right By Midnight rock Mavericks; USS, Loudlove and The Johnstones perform at the Capital Music Hall; Harvey Cartel are at the Atomic Rooster; Trevor James and The Perfect Gentlemen,Bad Ideas and Colin Moore play Zaphod Beeblebrox; Wicked Grin and FM Hi Low are at The Rainbow. The Polymorphines, The Micronite Filters and The Mistress deal some volume at Cafe DeKcuf. Add... because I am brain-dead right now, I completely forgot that Million Dollar Marxists will be ripping up Babylon tonight with The Fucking Machines, with some additional eye-candy provided by Dirty Donny's art.