Up and down

Sebastien Grainger has gone from the unusual and ear-busting bass'n'drums combo DFA 1979 to ear-pleasing but unsurprising work with Les Montagnes. Nick Sewall - sometimes seen making big noises with The Illuminati - plays bass, while Leon Taheny - formerly seen making loud noises with SS Cardiacs - plays the drums. With a lineup like that I would have expected something a little less straightforward than Grainger and Co.'s emotive garage rock, but no complaints since it all sounded nice enough. A short set.

Sebastien is a hat person.



Nick rocks the hair, as he has been known to do.



Leon prepares for a double whammy.



Mountainous action!



Rump-shaking action!



Sebastien gets down.



... and tips right over.



Hat-appropriating action!



Nick shakes it.



And some last-minute feedback.



Good, but I just know they've got more in them.

• Show reminder: People for Audio and The Flaps play at 209 Florence St.; In Safe Hands, Set Fire to Wicker Park, Seeing Emerson and Hot Fix perform at Club SAW.

Plus Fort

Day 2 of the Capital Idea Festival and it was off to Babylon to see three bands I had never seen together. True, I've seen Spencer Krug - mainman of headliner Sunset Rubdown - perform in both Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade. All I knew of the other two acts was that the opener, Miracle Fortress, was the work of Graham Van Pelt, who is also in Think About Life. Not much help there; although TAL has played in town a few times (they seem to be regulars at the 59 Argyle St. basement) I hadn't seen them either. However, as it emerged after the show I'd seen at least half of Miracle Fortress' live band. I saw guitarist and bassist Jessie Stein play Mavericks in March 2005 with her band SS Cardiacs. I was sure I'd seen Van Pelt's other guitarist and keyboardist before as well, but only placed him after he asked if I'd taken pictures of Telefauna's gig at the Rainbow April 9, 2006; it was Adam Waito. Anyway, onto Miracle Fortress, who I wouldn't rush to compare with any of the aforementioned bands (man, that was a lot of leadup for nothing, wasn't it?). I'd say MF incorporates both the Beach Boys’ dreamiest moments with some of My Bloody Valentine’s noisiest and crossbreeds Cornelius with Saturday looks Good To Me.



Popsmith in chief Van Pelt.



Drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer also features in Sunset Rubdown. Good thing too, since it means I'll have another picture of him less dull than this one.



Jessie rocks out!



Adam takes his turn on the Ibanez.



Fortified action!







They'll be back in town (or close to it) on July 12 when they play the Black Sheep Inn on their return from from a western tour.

• Show reminder: Speaking of 59 Argyle, Screaming Females and F!ghtF!ghtF!ght are playing a gig there this evening.

Cardiac arrest

SS Cardiacs played a great set at Mavericks. They were a kind of artless duo (bassist Mike Small was MIA), but between Leon Taheny's stick-smashing drumming and Jessie Stein's distorto-guitar sounded first rate (unlike my previous grumping about the sound at Mavericks for previous shows, this time the sound was excellent). They were supposed to headline but were in a rush to get to Montreal so The Weapons of Mass Seduction finished the bill.

Jessie Stein does the knees-together move I forever associate with Elvis Costello.



Stein's singing voice is raspy yet girlish, and quite appealing, if a bit of an acquired taste.



A Taheny montage. They were in such a hurry to go he was removing the microphones from his kit as he played the last song.



I'm still fooling around with the old shutter speed, but I think that generally works better with slower film.



I'll be interested to hear what they sound like with their bassist.

• Show reminders: Tonight you can either zip over the border to Quebec and catch The Fiftymen at the Black Sheep, or cross the border into the Glebe and see The Department of Foreign Affairs at Irene's with The Diableros and Caution Press. The Weakerthans and Constantines are playing with Greenfield Main and Andrew Vincent and The Pirates at Barrymore's. If you like your stuff a little more off the beaten track, there's an earlier show at Club SAW: Buried Inside, Zombi, Expatriates, Cancer Bats - music to eat brains to, I'm sure.