That's hot

A short while ago, Matthew Pollesel of i(heart)music canvassed the bloglands and beyond for a list of the 33 Hottest Bands in Canada. Everyone submitted a list of 10, except me: I submitted a list of nine and one name @#$%ed up beyond recognition.


Kill Cheerleader, Mavericks, March 24, 2006

Matthew's list is now up and about after some serious number-crunching on his part, and there's a lot of folks on it I almost chose and two that I did (The Sadies and Miracle Fortress). Anyway, look on and marvel at how out of step I am with the hip young kids today (I jest).

1. Les Breastfeeders – The Quebec band’s raucous live show would guarantee them a slot even if their two albums didn’t smoke as well.
2. Jon Epworth and The Improvements – Another live smoker with an excellent album of sharp pop rock under their belt as well.
3. Hot Springs – Great songs and great performances from a band that isn’t afraid to shift gears from rock to a poppier sound. Also blessed with the third most unpredictable frontwoman in Canada (as an aside, this is the band I'm most surprised didn't make it into to the Top 33).
4. Miracle Fortress – Were robbed – robbed, I say!
5. Nadja – The prolific duo’s sludge doom many to evoke striking feelings of melancholy while rolling a steamroller of sound over their listeners.
6. Black Mountain – Yay drugs.
7. The Sadies – Tremendous instrumental talent and a tremendous catalogue of songs that’s been slowly expanding out of their original country nook like a marvelous psychedelic bloom.
8. The Choir Practice – As a fan of polyphonic music I love the sound of massed voices, and The Choir Practice have all the ebullience one hopes for and none of the pretence one fears.
9. Kill Cheerleader – Their sleaze rock shtick seems so pathetically contrived at first glance it lets their super album ‘All Hail’ sneak up from behind and grab you. Unfortunately, I accidentally sent in their name as "Die Cheerleader", so they lost their one vote. I suspect it went to Die Mannequin (not that that would have been a a bad choice either). Me so stupid.
   
10. White Cowbell Oklahoma – More guitars and more strippers than any band in Canada, but they back it up with serious chops, good songs and a chainsaw.

Most of my selections (along with a vast horde of other bands) were relegated to the list of also-rans, which also served as a good reminder of bands I might have voted for on a different day of the week. I was sorely tempted to vote for Andre Ethier, Malajube, Sloan (althout they may be a bit long in the tooth to qualify as "hot") and Spiral Beach. Folks who did win a spot in the Top 33 and who I heartily endorse include Land of Talk, The Luyas, The New Pornographers (although I'm not sure they're new enough to count as hot ... then again, I voted for The Sadies), Julie Doiron, Besnard Lakes, The Acorn and Feist. So maybe I'm in step with the hepsters after all. Egads.

• Show reminder: Mustard Plug, The Johnstones and The Dirty 30s play Mavericks; Justin Nozuka plays Zaphod's.

Kill Cheerleader, kill!

Kill Cheerleader have been lauded by Lemmy and praised by Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, but I can't imagine them rocking a stadium. Not because they don't sound great, but because there's just something about them that demands they play sleazy dives. Mavericks is a fairly well-maintained sports bar, but a bunch of dirty rock fans did manage to make it out to mosh with marked enthusiasm as the band formerly know as Cheerleader and Cheerleader666 romped through songs from their new album All Hail and old favourites like Shit City. Nasty rock, both west and east coast varieties, figures in their sound. Add in some Smack (the great Finnish band that Guns'n'Roses shamelessly aped) and you've go the KC vibe.

The man formerly known as Cawke, Ethan Deth.



Chad spreads.



Kriss Rites in mid-wallop.



Drum solo!



When your strap goes, it's a good time for feedback.





This is the only photo I shot where you can actually see Chad's face.





As the night wore on, the fans were getting a little loopy. One guy with a beard and a fedora turned to me and yelled "I DON'T KNOW YOU!!!" and laughed like a hyena. I didn't know him either, but I did detect a pronounced resemblance to Dr. Teeth from The Muppet Show. A short girl jumped on Skottie Lobotomy, causing him to fall on me. Another drunk and diminutive dame tried to spritz beer on Chad, gave up when she realized the bottle was empty and just tossed it at his feet where it shattered. In sum, they should be on a bill with Jake Lovetart ...

• Show reminder: Mighty Eagle Band and Jesus Mullet play Babylon.

Cheer up!

Here are a few brief impressions of the Kill Cheerleader, Creeps , Eight Minute Veil and Krown show at Mavericks, abbreviated due to extreme sleepiness: Hand drumming. Ramones. Johnny Thunders. Mosh pit. Short woman throwing beer bottle. I arrived too late to catch the first band, so here are some pictures of three of the aforementioned bands, in reverse order:

Graham, Neal and Matt of Eight Minute Veil (not shown, drummer Matt).



The Creeps: Skottie Lobotomy, Bevans and a bit of Jordy.



Kill Cheerleader: Kriss Rites, Chad McKinnin and Ethan Deth.



(This last one also available for viewing in a larger size.) Now I sleep.