Blue, too

Yes, you've already seen photos from The Silver Hearts' April 21 gig - but there were a few I wanted to post. Since I have no new photos to share thanks to a week long on work and short on music (at least not at this time of morning ... pictures from last night's punk rock show will be forthcoming) and have received a copy of the Silver Hearts' collaboration with Andre Ethier of The Deadly Snakes, what better time to praise that album and other cool music that I've received of late. First, a few pictures.

Charlie Glasspool is a colourful character. The original version of this picture was very washed out. Hurry for graphics programs that let you alter the contrast!



Andre Ethier gets a grip on things.



Wyatt Burton and Sam Allison. Damned if I can figure out why I didn't use this picture first time around.



Sam on the banjo, Brian Sanderson on the sousaphone and a fuzzy Patrick Walsh.



Canasta power!



Kelly Pienault; a bit similar to the picture I did use, but nice nonetheless.



This picture of Mikey Begin was an also-ran because of an inconvenient elbow. One elbowectomy later and it's good to go!



I had enough good pictures of Jesse Pilgrim this one fell by the wayside. I still have a few spares laying around ....



And group action!



Apologies to the barely visible Paul Vernon on drums - I've already run my one good picture of him.
As for the album, Dear Stranger makes an ideal companion piece to The Snakes' Porcella, and if you're a fan of either band you'll want to get yourself a copy. Come to think of it, if you like The Snakes you'll probably like The Hearts and vice-versa. And probably you'll also like Brisbane's Gentle Ben and His Sensitive Side. I picked up a copy of GB's second album, The Sober Light of Day, at Birdman Sound yesterday. It's late-night gin-joint rock'n'roll makes me think of The Flaming Stars and, at times, Elvis Costello. It's on the Spooky Label, always a recommendation of quality (by the way, is it just me, or has the price of Australian imports dropped by a good $4? No complaints, you understand ...).
Among the padded envelopes of swag I recently received from pennyblackmusic.com were a few items of interest: It turns out Australia has a band called The Exploders as well, and their self-titled debut is a tough slice of power trio rock'n'roll, with a touch of 1960s psyche and garage thrown in. Another tasty pop-psych effort came my way from Mazarin, We're Already There. Bad Wizard made the wise choice of getting Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux to produce their latest album, and you can definitely hear how the 1970s drug fog lifts the appropriately titled Sky High to another level.

The bluest blue

Peterborough's Silver Hearts have a malleable membership - when I saw them at Bluesfest they had 12 members; at Barrymore's that had nine (and a couple of friends) - most notably they were without guitarist Trevor "Tiny" Davis and oddball trombonist Tom Reader. I've seen them with a saw player (whose name escapes me, sorry), she too was absent. But that is the nature of the Hearts, and they got along just fine at their CD release party at Barrymore's last night.

Keyboardist Charlie Glasspool on trumpet, keyboards and gurning.



Brian Sanderson has expanded from the sousaphone to fiddle, vocals, and a miniature horn.



Patrick Walsh, looking sodden with drink as usual.



Jesse Pilgrim, on theremin.



Kelly Pienault on accordion, and frequent lead vocals.



The band's preternaturally Tom Waitsian bassist also plays bass and banjo - contrary to an earlier version of this post that declared he might be Dave Tough/Tuff, it is in fact Sam Allison.



Mikey Begin, guitarist (and steel guitar chap).



Their other guitarist, Wyatt Burton.



Drummer Paul Vernon, in my traditional lousy drummer shot.



As mentioned earlier, Andre Ethier has joined forces with The Silver Hearts - here he is rocking it revival style.



They had another guest: Matthias Kom, who sang his song comparing love to monster trucks, etc. in a duet with Charlie.



As befits a CD release party, there were balloons. The band also splurged on glowing eyeglasses.



It's never a bad time to raise the roof.



I hate microphone stands in general, and this one in particular!



Lyrics consultation action!



Everybody sing!



Sing!!



Siiiiing!!!



Siiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!!!



And some group action!









Everybody makes 10!



I took so many pictures I'm sure I've missed a couple of good ones - but if I go searching through all 257 pictures I snapped I'll never get this post up ... and I have Supersuckers and Muffler Crunch/Fucking Machines shows to get to tonight.

• Show reminder: In addition to the aforementioned bill at Zaphod's and The Dominion, respectively, Clit 45, Trioxin 245 and The Visitors play Cafe Dekcuf ... The Sweet Janes were on the bill but a last-minute drummer shortage has forced them to rock out on Sunday instead at Mavericks with The Meathookers. Fembots and The John Henrys play the Black Sheep Inn.

Hearts of Silver

The Silver Hearts - everyone's favourite ramshackle mini-orchestra - have teamed up with Deadly Snake Andre Ethier of late, and he joined them on stage at Barrymore's for a few numbers in their lengthy pair of sets.



That's all I remember at this hour ... more tomorrow (or as I should say, later today).

Snakebite love

The Deadly Snakes started off as a bloozin' and boozin' ensemble, sounding a bit like garage rockers on a Bob Dylan trip. They were a bit like Toronto's answer to The Oblivians, blending 50s rock, soul and R&B, an impression that was further cemented when Greg Oblivian briefly recorded with the band. They've supposedly broadened their palette on their new album Porcella to add more pop and folk influences (I'm waiting for the double-vinyl version, A Bird In The Hand Is Worthless, with extra songs, so I have to take other reviewers' word for it).
They played Zaphod's with Tangiers and sounded like a toned down version of their earlier selves. I think that may be because they don't have the added instrumentation that shows up on their record - they've got to use the old tools to play the new tunes and it doesn't work 100%. Or maybe they just play better when they're stinking drunk, as was the case for the Dominion show when Andre Ethier tried to sing into his maraca for a good 10 seconds before he realized his microphone was actually in his other hand.
Anyway, they were still really good - I've just seen them better and drunker.

Time for some very emphatic singing from Andre.



Jeremi Madsen toots his own horn.



Matthew Carlson shakes one of the many tambourines the band keeps on hand for just such purposes.



Andrew Gunn was in good form.



Bassist Chad Ross in the middle.



Blood red Andre and Age of Danger!



Audience participation action!



And more Age of Danger action.



Shortly after this picture was taken, Age was eaten by a wandering zombie - really!

• Show reminder: Ex-Models, Get Hustle, Quebexico and the always-popular "and more" play Babylon.
• Halloween news: Prepare yourself, for here come a bunch of spooky shows! On Halloween itself, The Demolition Doll Rods return to the Dominion Tavern, possibly with Blackball. Of course there's also Halloween Hardcore 2005 at Babylon with Buried Inside, Million Dollar Marxists, Robot Kill City, The Grey, The Sweet Janes, Outnumbered, Sleeping Pilot. Mavericks has their own streetpunk flavoured "Halloween Horrorshow" with The Riptides, The Sewer Rats, The Rookers, Hands Of The Few, Cradle Robbin' Bastards, Germattak, The Manglers and The Intruders. Needless to say, with all those bands there's going to be an early start at both gigs. Scariest (or is that "skariest" of all is Skallaween at Mavericks Oct. 30, with Catch 22, The Flatliners and The Rude Dudes. There's both an early, AA show and a later adults-only gig. Ska and Halloween - I'm already terrified, I tell you ... Same day - Oct. 30 - there's a Glam Rock Halloween with Robin Black and Manpower at Zaphod's.
• Hoedown news: I'm glad to see the Rock'n'roll rodeo is once again rolling into town - Nov. 26 at Barrymore's, to be precise - with Carolyn Mark, Slo' Tom and The John Henrys.