The beep from the east

Back in mid-September I headed over to House of Targ for another edition of Switched On Synths. The headliners this time were Colour Domes, with Ruth Grader and East Coast Low Noise production artists Paranerd and Anome. Ruth Grader started things off.



Lightshow action!



Fisheye action!



On to Anome, who comes from Moncton.



Extra Anome!



Fellow Monctonite Paranerd put on a set that was a little more dance-oriented to my ears.



Adjusting action!



Colour Domes started as the solo project of Lars, with Taipei resident Fang joining this year. Here's Lars!



Fang adjusts!



Lars sings!



Fang sings!



Singalong action!



Always a fun evening; the next edition of Switched On Synths will be Dec. 3.

Transformers

Odonis Odonis are one of those bands unafraid to change their sound from album to album: They started off somewhere around the Jesus & Mary Chain and seem to be headed into Nine Inch Nails territory. It's been a radical enough change that their House of Targ set was drawn entirely from their latest release, Post Plague. I would have expected someone like Casa Lagarto to be opening for them in 2011; five years later Ruth Grader gets the nod instead. Here's some synthetic action!



And so on!



On to Odonis Odonis for a short but good set. Here's Dean and Jarod!



Jarod sings!



Bass action with Denholm!



Denholm sings!



Extra Jarod!



More Dean!



A cool show.

Kind of like that

On Thursday I went over to Pressed to check out a benefit show for Ottawa's Kind Space, which offers a no-pressure space to chill for folks of all types and inclinations and Algonquin College's Syd Ford Emergency Fund. It was an appropriately diverse bill, kicked off by Vow(l)s. The electronic duo were billed as Lunokhod Selector, but decided on a name change prior to their musical debut. Here's Ruth Grader, one half of the combo.



And here's Matthew, the other half.



The whole lot!



Sometimes when you use the wrong film speed you get interesting results.



Extra Ruth!



Vocal action!



Manipulative action!



Next up, the garagey sounds of Creep Wave; here's Brittany!



Kieran hits!



Derek sings!



Brittany sings!



Extra Derek!



A shouty bit!



And so on!



Even more Derek!



Even more Brittany!



Spell was left with only enough time for a couple of songs, but they used it  well.



Kai sings!



Singalong action with Allie!



Tyrin hits!



Bass action with Connor!



Guitar action!



More Marly!



The whole lot!



The benefit raised $400.

Gotta have pop

You know I like those Sacred Bones records - it may be one of the most consistent labels in the land. So when one of their artists comes to town, I try to be there. Pop. 1280 have made a trip to Ottawa before - they opened for White Lung alongside Bonnie Doon and Pregnancy Scares at House of Targ back in the summer of 2014 and played an intense set. First, Ruth Grader. I can't help but suspect a Switched On Synths appearance looms in his future.



Sequenced action!



Adjusting action!



Spell played next, they've increased their quotient of former Weed Moms by adding Allie on vocals. Here's Marley and Tyrin.



On the right, Connor, Frazier and Allie.



Tyrin hits!



Kai sings!



More Marley!



Extra Frazier!



Bonus Tyrin!



Connor handles the low end.



Allie sings!



Pop. 1280 played an intense set for a crowd that I'll call "pensive." The band reminded me just as much of Cop Shoot Cop as they did the last time around. Either Andy Chugg's really changed his look or the band have a new drummer for this tour (or I misidentified the man behind the kit last time around).



Allegra! Chris! Ivan!



More Allegra!



Now with more shutter-speed-tomfoolery.



It was getting smokey as Ivan bent.



More percussion!



Ivan works the keys.



A Sunday night well-spent.