Dirty business

"Dirty reggae" perpetrators The Aggrolites were next on my "to see" list. As the announcement of the Bluesfest lineup approached I started thinking about who might end up on the bill. The folks who choose the acts aren't prone to revealing what's headed Ottawa's way, so so-called "Bluesfest rumours" mostly amount to looking at whose touring nearby and making an educated guess. I figured that Andrew Bird was just the sort of act they'd like (and sure enough there he was). Thanks to their fearsome live reputation I thought The Aggrolites might have a chance as well. The combo formed out of a pair of L.A. ska-reggae acts to back Derrick Morgan of Housewives' Choice fame.

Let's kick things off with singer-guitarist Jesse Wagner and rhythm axeman Brian Dixon.



Roger Rivas rocks the bandanna.



Sweaty denim action with bassist Jeff Roffredo.



Drummer Alex Mackenzie sure looks young.



Brian points!



Jesse conducts the crowd.



Singalong action with Jeff'n'Roger.



Jesse lurches!



I hope there are no laundry mixups with these guys.



And the crowd goes circular!



The whole lot!



More guitar!



Roger works it on out!



More Alex!



Jeff sings!



They're currently touring (they may always be touring, actually) Arizona and California; then they head to the east coast of the U.S. before a turn southward.

• Show reminder: Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Father Murphy make odd sounds at Mavericks (they've moved from Capital Music Hall); Bad Vibes and Mannequin rock the 'za at Nine; Ninety Pounds of Ugly and Liquorbox continue the hoedown at Zaphod's.

The lens cracked

The Brothers Chaffey played a terrific set at Bluesfest in 2009 and were fortunately invited back for more of the same in 2010.

Matthew may have found it a bit warm for a leather jacket.



David Maxwell was on hand to add some keyboards.



Dave MacDonald handles the low end.



I'm going to take a wild and totally unsubstantiated guess that the organist is Jeff Rogers.



Brother Curtis rocks the Les Paul.



Nick Diak rocks the headband.



More Matthew!



Brothers gotta work it out.



I didn't take too many photos because at first I was operating under the assumption it wasn't allowed ... turns out this was the last day SLRs were (officially) allowed.

• Show reminder: Fireworks, The Swellers, Man Overboard and Transit perform at Mavericks; Danny Sylvester, The Kim Ray Band and Spaces Between the Stars are at the Rainbow;  Black Boot frontman Steve Fai, The F Holes and Huntley Slim and The Suburban Cowboys continue the O-Town Hoedown at the Elmdale House.

Have your fill

Chicagos Hollows are a bunch of ladies well-dressed for a groovy 1950s shindig, with a Kiss Med Deadly attitude (plus some Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!), a fondness for The Shangri-Las and some 1960s organ-driven garage rock sound.

Hannah shakes it and sings some, Maria plays the organ and sings some more, lone fellow Jason handles the drums, Emma plays bass and drinks, and Megan wields the guitar.



Jason blurs!



Maria sings!



Megan and Emma!



Great gams!



Hannah sings!



More Megan!



Emma rocks the dots.



Singalong action!



More Maria!



Rocking action!



Drinking action!



More Jason!



More Megan!



And that's that. Apart from a couple of hometown shows their dance-card seems pretty empty right now.

• Show reminder: It's a surprisingly busy Tuesday with Villagers and Winchester Warm aat Mavericks. The O-Town Hoedown is at Irene's with Shirt-Tearing Boys and Dry River Caravan; Czech proggers Uz Jsme Doma have been compared to Frank Zappa, Fugazi, Men At Work, The Damned, Pere Uba and god knows who else - they're at Zaphod's with Mouth. Folkies Pete Vandyke and Zachery Adams perform at the Rainbow.

The book of Kelli

Up next at Babylon opening for The Hollows was Peach Kelli Pop. a.k.a. Allie Hanlon of The White Wires. as PKP she records solo, and all over the place, to judge from the liners of her freshly released LP, but live she's backed by sister Em, Davey Quesnelle and Matt Oxley.

Allie sings!



Em goes red!



Davey! Oxley! Allie!



Rhythm section action!



Allie'n'Matt.



The whole lot!



"The song should be this fast."



Emily works the tambourine.



The end!



As mentioned earlier, the LP is out now, and I believe I heard talk of a split single being recorded in California over the summer.

• Show reminder: We Were The Fires of Rome, Like Animals, Perjury and Adrenechrome are at Cafe Dekcuf; Colin Moore performs at the Rainbow.

Achin' all over

If this is Monday (which it isn't now, but was back on July 12) then the beast that is Bluesfest slumbers (apart from a few stirrings in the Byward Market) and I must seek my evening's entertainment in the clubs that are my usual haunts. Strangely enough Chicago's Hollows decided to breeze through town and put a show on with lo-fi pop cutie Peach Kelli Pop and The Shakey Aches. When I went through the front door of Babylon - where the show was held after some fiddling - The Shakey Aches already had a couple of songs and some technical difficulties under their belts. Specifically, frontman Mean Mad Matthews vocal reverb had expired. Fortunately he can make do without it. The band features folks from Art Burn, The Glads, The Desecrators and Screamin' Fists, so you know the music has a gentle reverence for the eardrums of its listeners. Yes, that is sarcasm.

First, one-time Desecrator and Half-Miler Darrell.



Stage right, bassist Brain.



And in the middle, drummer Tim (also Desecrators and The Glads, lately seen manning the traps for Garaga) and Mean Mad Matthew.



Drumming action!



Brainy action!



Mean action!



The shouty bit!



Bendy action!



Darrell frets!



The end!



They're playing next at the Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party Oct. 7 ... it'll be something of a Desecrators reunion since Mississippi Grover is also on the bill. An EP is also in the works.

• Show reminder: Stray From The Path, Think Twice and In Sepia are at Cafe Dekcuf; Anti-Flag, The Mezingers and Vulgaires Machins play Ritual; it's Day 3 of the O-Town Hoedown, with Dusty Drifters performing at Irene's (as they usually do on Sundays) along with Jackpine. Joe Taylor is at the Rainbow. The Elmdale House hosts Domestic Crisis Group and Pete Link. Last but certainly not least, it's Ottawa Community Record Show time at St. Anthony's Hall off Preston St.