Stop motion

Man, I hope the guys who warrantied my camera get off their duffs, because waiting for them to decide what to do is getting old fast - and I'm sure these updates aren't quite the thrill off my usual voluminous show posting. At least there's a bunch of potential shows on tonight to take my mind off things.



First up, a post rock show at End Hits with City of a Hundred Spires, Tunturia, and Danger Danger Mammoth Hunter (depicted above at a show in October 2006 with CCS and a bunch of other folks). Pilot Light, Synastry, The Mistress, Malice, Arising Roots and Kill Baseline perform at Cafe Dekcuf. The Russian Futurists and The Cansecos play Zaphods.



The Sadies and Young Rival perform at Barrymore's Music Hall - you may recall the Youngsters' gig at Babylon in June 2006 under their former name Ride Theory (that's them up top). C.R. Avery is also on the bill. There's further twanging at Irene's with The Reverb Syndicate, Evil Farm Children and The Bible All-Stars.

Tusk force

Danger Danger Mammoth Hunter - is it just me or are band names getting longer and longer? - are from Montreal. They accompanied City of 100 Spires on this jaunt to Babylon. While the group's music isn't strictly instrumental, it's got enough time changes and riff workouts to remind people of Tortoise on steroids, Mogwai and similar outfits.

Faceoff action!



Twisting, shouting, etc.



Drummer Marty, with one of his favourite facial expressions.



They're an energetic lot.





There was a bit of singing, but mostly DDMH goes the post-rock route.







A super performance from a young band.

• Show reminder: The Flatliners and Much The Same play at End Hits; The Bridegroom and The Ether perform at Babylon; EastBorough release their new EP at Zaphod's, Tamsen and Elliott and The Murderplans are also on the bill. Trevor Alguire and Tim's Myth play Mavericks.
  

Strange attractors

There was a pretty sparse audience at Babylon; perhaps the cruddy weather scared everyone off. Or maybe they were all next door at Barrymore's watching the Suicide Girls strut their stuff. I walked in the door some time past 9 p.m.; Glenn Nuotio was launching into his last two songs.

Nuotio's material is very high calibre singer-songwriter stuff. I would guess that's Patrick DeDauw on cello.



Smoke Judo followed with some experimental rhythm driven stuff with a lot of reverbed vocals. It's the latest project from Fluorescent Friend Christie and Akisakila's Shub Roy. I was quite impressed and bought one of their CDs.



Place was up next. They sounded a bit sharper than the last show I caught (some time ago).



Then it was the turn of a couple of Montreal groups. First, Danger Danger Mammoth Hunter; they do have some vocals - it's tempo-switching aggressive post rock; they did a good job.



City of 100 Spires finished things off with more stop-start instrumental rock and jumping about. This the third show I've caught by them and the most ferocious by far.



City of 100 Spires is also performing tonight at Mavericks as part of the Exclaim Aggression Tour.

• Show reminder: Apart from the Mavericks show - which also features Pelican, Daughters and Kennedy - you can see Jon-Rae and the River, Woolly Leaves and The Soiree at Zaphod's.