AWmusic

NXNE is a great week for music, and while this year’s lineup may have been somewhat weaker than it has been in past years, there were definitely some amazing acts to be found all over the city. It does take some filtering to find the good ones though, through the artists who are bland, boring, obnoxiously noisy, and shamelessly mindless synth-based-dancy-electro-infused-drone-rock. I even saw one post-rock band playing with half the members sitting down cross-legged on lounge chairs, while the audience patiently waited for the music to go somewhere (it didn’t). But there are many diamonds in the rough – case and point: Zeroes

Zeroes are a band that I first saw open for Land of Talk, back in January. The house was packed, and in fact, if you’re reading this and you’re from Toronto, you were probably there. If you weren’t, hopefully you were at the Silver Dollar at 10 PM Friday night. Half the reason I wanted to go was just to buy their EP – I searched online for a place I could buy it/steal it, and there was absoloutely nowhere because they pressed so few copies. But what really got me as always, was the performance. Anyone who’s heard Zeroes’ EP and likes it would do themselves well to see them perform live, because Zeroes are a live band, and to me are what NXNE is and should be all about.

Zeroes are a synth-based noise rock band – sounds like a recipe for bland indie rock, but a few songs in and it’s clear they are anything but. From the moment they begin their drummer demands attention. The ferocity and momentum in his beats set a strong foundation for the rest of the band. The synth comes in with a loop more akin to a classical motif than mindless noodling, and that is one of the things that separates Zeroes from the flock. Vocals are secondary, eerily floating somewhere between the synth and the Thurston Moore-esque noisy guitars.

With so many bands relying on 80s-style synth for dance-rock or avante-garde appeal, Zeroes find a way to reinvent it for the 21st century without making it the entire basis of their music. They are a rock band at heart, you can see it in their presence, in the appropriate way they use the synth to complement the rest of the band, not just drown it out.

You’ve got choices with a Zeroes set. You can rock out to Zeroes, you can dance to Zeroes, or you can just stand idle in hypnosis. They were modest on stage, asking every couple songs if they were cutting into anyone else’s time. When they finished, the crowd was in adoration. One of the festival volunteers begged them to continue just after they finished their set.

There were definitely a lot of duds in NXNE this year, but someone got it right when they booked Zeroes. Hopefully they’re back soon. After hearing the EP I picked up at the show, I’ve decided I’m counting the days until their full length.

Arena by Zeroes
PVC by Zeroes

Whisper by DJ Barletta
When Love Takes Over Remix by DJ Barletta

By the time Fake Blood went on, Wrongbar was actually packed. Normally, it’s nice when a venue is filled. Nothing is more awkward than dancing alone. But the place was so hot and humid from the fog that people were constantly going in and out which was understandable but extremely annoying. Fake Blood was amazing but the experience was really dampered by the horrid breathing conditions. After we took a breather and came back in around 3am, there was a mystery liquid dripping from the ceilings. As I looked at the near-unconscious clubrats and the steamed-up glass door, the horror of my realization set in: the mystery liquid was sweat that evaporated, condensed on the ceiling, and was now raining down on my shoulders. Wow, that is overwhelmingly and impressively disgusting.

But more on Fake Blood … Until recently, Fake Blood was a bit of an enigma. Now, it’s pretty common knowledge in the blogosphere that Fake Blood is none other than Theo Keating, half of both electronica/hiphop group, the Wiseguys, and the Black Ghosts. His pièce de résistance “Mars” is catchy but fairly repetitive but I guess that’s characteristic of house music in general. What’s really interesting about Fake Blood is something I completely missed myself:

In each of Fake Blood’s remixes his name is uttered by the original artist, giving his works a tag or audio stamp; amazingly, this is done by cutting the original vocal part into tiny phonetic fragments (phragments?) and reslicing them to construct the words “fake blood”.
- Dermot Solon for Analogue

So that’s pretty neat.

Mars by Fake Blood
Bonde Do Role by Fake Blood

In conclusion, Fake Blood and Dj Barletta get a 4/5 for being good at what they do, Wrongbar gets a 2/5 for making me feel icky.

Everything All The Time was the first band up and what a fun little band they are. They opened with an older tune, Lazy Days, a feel-good, happy little song that had the sparse crowd tapping their toes and a few swaying their hips. It wafted over the crowd bringing to mind hot summer mornings when you just don’t want to get out of bed and lifted the mood of everyone there. This is a really good electronic band, in fact the only instruments they have are the drums and bass, where the synth’s take centre stage. And having a live drummer really makes a difference for it adds warmth and feeling that drum machines lack. Everything All The Time is aptly named for they manage to make music that combines so many different rhythms and beats, from world music to electro/dance/pop to jazzy choruses. Alanna Stuarts voice is one of the most beautiful female voices I have heard in a long time. She has a naturalness of tone and delivery and is so comfortable on stage that you forget that there are other people around you. Her interaction with the crowd is also natural and unforced. This is definitely her calling. In fact, that is one of this band’s biggest strengths for you don’t doubt for a minute that they are enjoying themselves up there and that they would be playing even if there was only one person listening. And it’s this joy that makes them stand out. They are worth checking out and will be playing The Legendary Horseshoe June 25th. Go see them but be prepared to dance your butt off. Check them out on MySpace but, unfortunately, the songs listed have a different singer, Stuart being a recent addition to the band. The only one to feature her is the first song, Once We Start, which is a demo so don’t judge it too harshly.

Everything All The Time – Lazy Days

Final Flash had been sitting just outside my peripheral vision for a little while. I would see them mentioned or a friend would drop their name but I hadn’t heard them so when I saw they were playing with Young Galaxy I thought it would be a perfect time to check them out. It is unfortunate that they took the stage after Everything All The Time because their music is quite different and I think it took the crowd a few minutes to switch gears. This is a good young band. They make loud, classic rock-ish music that is interesting to listen to. It brought to mind such bands as The Kinks, and the Animals. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t like Joey C. Chaperon’s voice. Not his fault because he can sing well just that I found it had a lot of treble in it and not much else. I found that he had a limited range with little texture or variation of tone but this might also have just been a case of the wrong microphone for his voice.

Someday someone is going to write a manual for musicians explaining how important it is to look at the crowd once in a while and, unless you are Bono, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder or Michael Stipe, never turn your back to your audience, it kills the connection. Some people can get away with it but unless you’ve already got them eating out of your hand, you will lose a lot of energy that way. The in-between song patter wasn’t really great either because it was more appropriate for the Horseshoe. We get it, you like beer now move on please. Anyway, this is a good band with well-written songs and lots of talent and worth your while to check out. Look for them on MySpace and Facebook.

Final Flash – Leave The Forest

Their songs are well written and played with confidence and without any affectation. Lyrically, well, sometimes it’s best not to listen too closely but their newer stuff sounds better. One of my favourite songs, Swing Your Heartache, is definitely one of those songs where the lyrics are, for lack of a better word, trite. But, you know, it doesn’t matter because there are so many catchy hooks, lilting melodies and dancey beats that they could sing the dictionary and I’m betting you would still dance to it. Another favourite, Wailing Wall, sounds a bit like The Cure and has some of the better written lyrics – “empty the bottle/mourn the loss/devotion no matter what the cost/dialled your number/you blocked my call/your back is my wailing wall”. It is a darkly atmospheric song that should sound more miserable than it does which is a testament to Stephen Ramsay’s vocals which never cross into “emo” territory. At times they do have a Broken Social Scene vibe but they are on the Arts & Crafts label and that seems to be a signature style for that company so don’t hold it against them. Sharing vocal duties with Ramsay is Catherine McCandless, whose strong voice was the perfect counterpoint to Ramsay and with both sharing the lead, it kept the set interesting.

The thing I like best about this band is that they make music that sounds familiar but is at the same time different to anything currently out there. They sound kind of like the Stars but not really, they do have the same kind of soaring atmospherics and gorgeous harmonies but that’s where the similarities end. Come And See has such a catchy melody that I found myself humming it all the way home and embarrassing myself by dancing to it while waiting for the streetcar. It must have been hard standing on stage and seeing the crowd unmoving to even their most infectious songs. Outside The City had a few of us in the back jumping around but, as with Everything All The Time, Young Galaxy kept reminding the people to dance. That being said, the crowd screamed themselves hoarse at the end of the set and then vanished into the night leaving the poor sods who followed with a half empty venue. They are obviously a very popular band in this area.

The band will be dropping a new album in August and the first single will be “Destroyer”. Go see Young Galaxy if you get the chance, they won’t disappoint you. Visit them on MySpace and at Arts & Crafts. You can listen to their first album and watch videos at the Arts & Crafts site. You can also go to their website for a free download of Long Live The Fallen World which will be on their new album, “Invisible Republic”. Young Galaxy has a blog called “Peripheral Visionaries” where they post about their thoughts on a variety of subjects and Ramsay also posts song mixes.

Young Galaxy – Long Live the Fallen World
Young Galaxy – Come And See

This was by far the best night out I’ve had in a while. All the bands put on a good show, pleased those listening and made converts out of the casual observers. I even saw a couple of the bouncers moving to Everything All The Times addictive grooves.

As always, if you like what you hear support these artists by buying their music. You can pick up Young Galaxy and Everything All The Time on iTunes. You can also find Young Galaxy on Amazon and Everything All The Time on Zunior. Final Flash should be releasing their debut CD soon, it was scheduled for earlier in the year but I haven’t seen it yet.

Photo by Michael Ligon of For The Records.

I can understand how noise is not everyone’s thing. It certainly took me a long time to “get it”. What is interesting about noise music, which was clearly evident in No Age, is the use of layers through distortion. You can just barely make out Spunt’s deliciously off-key vocals through the clutter of deafening guitarwork and drums. It was an experience.

The venue choice was a good one. Lee’s Palace has that sunken-in floor that was perfect for the ever enthusiastic moshpit going on.

The one criticism I have about the set last night was how incredibly short it was. It was barely 45 minutes and that’s including the couple minutes Randall spent fixing his guitar string a few songs in. I guess that’s typical of festival shows but it rarely takes a full fifteen minutes to set up and I really wished they squeezed a couple more songs in there.

Highlights included Cappo, Brain Burner, and a new track Randall said was dedicated to the underagers.

Cappo by No Age
Brain Burner by No Age

The special guest turned out to be King Khan and the BBQ who I had seen the night earlier at the Horseshoe. I didn’t stay for their show but I will share this picture of King Khan:

I saw him hanging outside the washrooms downstairs at the Horseshoe and asked if I could get a photo with (WITH) him and needless to say, that did not happen.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Black Lips’ bassist Jared Swilley chimed in on a song at the King Khan show Thursday. Nobody was attacked.

First Piper Davis. She is great. Simply that. Her music sounds sort of retro, kind of like something you might have heard when punk was new and Blondie was just breaking new ground. Not that Davis sounds like Blondie, not at all but she has the same sensibilities, the ability to write music that is so damn catchy that you have to get up and dance. Davis’s voice is a nice change from the popular female vocals which are either Feist-like or Beyonce-like. She, on the other hand, has a voice that is at once full of soul yet wouldn’t be out of place on a B-52’s song. Her music is a combination of electro beats and blue-eyed soul that is really quite addicting. She has been compared to Santigold but I think I like Davis’s vocals better. Her band consists of Abra Rissi (background vocals and electro beats), Adrian Fillion (bringing the funk), and Luke Cyca (drums). The Drake wasn’t full, maybe half, but the crowd responded well to Davis and was up dancing enthusiastically to her last song. I would definitely go see her again. I challenge anyone to go to her show and not get up and dance or at the very least tap your toes. You can listen to her on her MySpace and find out about her on her website.
Piper Davis – Like A Stone

Off to the El Mo to see Foxfire Forest, Songs From A Room and Burning Brides. I had heard all the hype about Burning Brides so was interested to hear them. I got there in time to catch the last half of Foxfire Forests set and was really impressed. I thought they delivered a nice, tight, funky set that I regret not seeing from the start. They describe their music as “punk vs disco” and I think that is pretty accurate. I hated disco but I’m finding that some bands are quite gifted at meshing it with more contemporary genres and making damn fine music. Foxfire Forest were another band that it is almost impossible to stand still to, they had crowd jumping about with enthusiasm and cheering and clapping at the end of each tune. They are a large band, nine members, but there was nothing chaotic about their music, not even finely orchestrated chaos like you hear with Broken Social Scene or Arcade Fire, not that this band resembles either other than they have a lot of members. There is not a note out of place or a fake jam anywhere, the music is written, and played, very well with each member knowing exactly what they are doing. Loved this band and look forward to seeing them again. Do visit them on MySpace.

Ok. Now onto Songs From A Room. Sigh. They started off well enough with a song that had a Soundgarden-ish sound to it. This soon dissolved into a set that had no real originality. Songs From A Room just sounded like another Queens Of The Stone Age and their ilk. Not that the crowd cared. The El Mo wasn’t packed but the crowd that was there really seemed to enjoy what Songs From A Room was giving them. They had some song that had nice changes from chorus to verse but not enough uniqueness to make it interesting. Lead singer Brayden Jones knew how to deliver a high-energy show and his voice was great for the kind of music they played. His voice, and the bands talent, was probably what kept me listening a lot longer than I would have under normal circumstances. They had a lot of stage presence and you could feel their energy right to the back of the room, even though you couldn’t really see them. Songs From A Room is probably a band I wouldn’t go out of my way to see again but if they were playing with someone I liked I would stick around for their set. As always, to listen to them visit them on MySpace.

The Burning Brides had been getting a fair bit of hype before their NXNE appearance and I think they benefited from being on just before Auf Der Maur because the El Mo was packed by the end of their set. They are nothing if not loud and full of attitude. You really can’t ignore them. The crowd was throwing themselves around before the first song ended. They really know how to please a crowd and delivered a high energy and entertaining set. However, it was a set full of stuff I’ve heard before and done better. If you like hard rock with a touch of early Elvis Costello then you will like this band. For me, I don’t think I would see them again. Just not my kind of music, although I can appreciate the passion and enthusiasm they bring to their songs. If you missed them last night, you still have a chance to catch them as they will be playing tonight at Lee’s Palace with Dillinger Four, Hostage Life and TRIGGERFINGER. And be sure to check them out on MySpace and their website.

I had every intention of stayed at the El Mo to see Melissa Auf Der Maur but it was so crowded and I was so hot I needed a break. I walked down to the Rivoli to see Hannah Georgas. She is another of Canada’s wonderful crop of female singers who are making interesting and unique music. Not unlike Feist, Regina Spektor or even Jenn Grant, Georgas offers a vocal delivery that is always a joy to listen to. Where I find that Jenn Grant can sound a bit harsh at times, Georgas’ voice is always pleasant and charming. Her songwriting is really what pulls her above the crowded genre that is folk/rock for it is at times whimsical and melancholic but never uninteresting. Let’s Talk is a song about liking a person but being too shy to say anything so instead she confesses to “…winning a spelling bee/When I was only in grade three” and “….we’re all getting older/And it’s time to figure out why/Our hearts are growing colder”. She’s just trying to figure out why love is so hard, I guess. It’s just one of many enchanting songs that she performed last night. The Rivoli was crowded but not full and the crowd really was entranced by Georgas. She has a very seductive quality about her and I don’t mean in a sexual way but she just has this ability to pull you in and make you like her. She made every song an intimate telling of her personal beliefs and feelings, she was in a word, believable. I will definitely be looking out for her to play Toronto again. You can find tour dates and stuff on her MySpace page.
Hannah Georgas – All I Need

As always, support these artists by buying their music from iTunes, Amazon or local retailers.

Tonight was a night of firsts. Unfortunately none of them were music related. I was in mid chew of a sausage while watching two douchebags fight it out over who stepped on the other guy’s puma when another person in a clown suit tried to break up the fight. The clown was eventually the guy who got his ass kicked (obviously). All that moment needed was a random car crash and I think I would’ve gone straight home to end the evening on a high note. No car crash occurred so I had to settle for good music instead. I arrived at Horseshoe Tavern at 9pm with anticipation to catch Golden Isles, The Novaks, and Dinosaur Bones and the evening did not disappoint.

Opening the night was Montreal’s Golden Isles. Early into their set, their songs were very gritty very energized. It sounded completely out of place to me. When they changed direction and performed some of their mellower songs like ‘I Love You’ and ‘Silly Girl’, then you could see the real charm this band has. Naturally these songs would give off the impression of cliché but the hook here is lead singer Adam Feingold’s voice. His vocals can hit a low baritone. This added a sense of sincerity amidst a serious message. Some live bands are loud for the sake of being loud and vocals are never understood. Golden Isles has a leveled setup and everything worked in unison.

Golden Isles – Don’t Tell Me

Much like Nancy’s day 1 experience at Horseshoe Tavern, when I arrived at nine the place was nearly empty. But by the time The Novaks were setting up for their performance the room began to fill up quickly. Hailing from St John’s Newfoundland these guys were a small town favourite to the crowd. The majority of their songs conveyed darker vibes like ‘Rain Rain Rain’. Coming from their debut album, ‘Destroyer’ was the strongest song of their performance. They damn near blew the roof off the place with this song and the crowd could feel it. Most people were pushing and shoving in the front for a shot at getting some eye candy of the band. They had the best live performance I’ve seen so far at NxNE.

The Novaks – Leave Me Alone

Photo by Andres Hannah-Suarez

Dinosaur Bones – Royalty

Just Another Way by Spookey Ruben

Next up was The Burning Hell, who was also much less intimidating than their name suggests. The Burning Hell is features frontman Mathias Kom and up to fourteen rotating musicians. Last night, I counted two violinist, an accordion, a harmonica, drums, a few guitars, and a banjo(?). Like Spookey Ruben, The Burning Hell was full of humourous tunes with frequent mentions of a rabbi which somewhat confirmed my theory that Kom was dressed that way because he didn’t have time to change after synagogue.

The Things That People Make by The Burning Hell

By the time United Steel Workers of Montreal took the stage, the floor was comfortably filled. The six-piece alt-country band is signed to Weework, the same label as The Burning Hell. Near the end of their set, Gern F was scarily similar to an evangelist as he banished Satan from my friend’s body. I’m hoping that was sort of tongue-in-cheek.

Jesus We Sweat by United Steel Workers of Montreal

King Khan was the real treat of the night. While setting up, he was wearing a red tshirt that was soon replaced by a turban, gold cape, and sort sort of shawl name of metal ringlets. The crowd went absolutely insane for him. While people were mostly just bopping along or tapping their feet for United Steel Workers, the floor turned into a straight-up moshpit for King Khan. Khan basked in the enthusiasm and played the longest set of the night (just over an hour).

Torture by King Khan and The Shrines (ed. note: I’m having issues with mp3s so I know it was King Khan and the BBQ)

As 1am rolled around, I was starting to get weary and anxious about missing the subway home. HEALTH took ages to set up because of all their synthesizers and other beep-bloop machines. I was introduced to HEALTH with their 2007 album with Crystal Castles and was concerned that they wouldn’t hold their own without Alice Glass’ shrill vocals. (Jupiter Keyes’ “ironic” Nickelback t-shirt didn’t really inspire much confidence either.) But my worries subsided when they finally started playing. Surprisingly, the moshpit died down for the LA noise band. I couldn’t stay for the whole set but I will say that HEALTH gave the best physical performance of the night (so far). No one wants to see noise rockers placidly standing around strumming their guitars and HEALTH definitely knows this.

Heaven (Narctrax Remix) by Health

Glorious by The Swallows

Jim Cuddy/Oh, Susanna/Royal Wood were next up and they took the stage promptly at 9PM. Lee’s was, by now, packed and the crowd was a pretty good mix of older and younger people, such was the appeal of the nights performers. The three performers took turns singing and also provided vocal harmonies to each others tunes. They were joined by Blue Rodeo bassist, Basil Donovan, and drummer, Glenn Milchem. These two provided a good, solid base for the melodies and Milchem’s drumming was stellar, driving the songs along when necessary but providing a softer, more mellow beat when called for.

Royal Wood was first up with his beautiful song, Juliet. This is a beautiful love song that normally I would find cliché but his voice and the simple charm of the song saved it for me. Wood has been compared to Ron Sexsmith and Rufus Wainwright, not without merit, and he’s had songs that have been featured on shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Regenisis”, “This Is Wonderland” and the soundtrack for the Food Network’s production, “The Surreal Gourmet”. His final song, I’m So Glad, was a nice quiet love song whose melody put me in mind of Tiny Dancer from Elton John but without the urgency. A graceful tune that enchanted the crowd. “At the end of a long, long day/There is not much more to say then love/I’m so glad I met you”, a simple heart-felt lyric delivered simply. After his gig at NXNE, Wood will be performing at the Danforth Music Hall on June 30. I really wouldn’t mind catching him then. For more information on tour dates and to listen to his songs, you can visit his MySpace page.

I’m So Glad by Royal Wood

Oh, Susanna (aka Susan Ungerleider) provided a welcome female presence to the stage. She is a good writer, her songs are firmly rooted in good old Americana folk/country but with a bit more of a contemporary edge to them. She delivers them with passion and confidence and has a warm and intimate stage presence. She seems like you could really sit down over a few beers and have a good laugh over just about anything. Her songs are good bar crowd fare, filled with lyrics about love and personal struggles. She wouldn’t sound out of place on stage with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash or John Prine. Her voice blended well with Jim Cuddy’s and Royal Wood’s when she was required to sing back-up or harmony but on it’s own I think she could have projected it better. I’m not a fan of country music and would probably not go out of my way to see her again but if she showed up on the same bill as an artist I like, I wouldn’t walk out. You can find out more about her, including tour dates, by visiting her Myspace page.

Greyhound Bus by Oh,Susanna

Jim Cuddy was the other performer in the second set of the night. He, of course, really did out-class the others. Cuddy provided what everyone has come to expect from him – solid song writing, solid vocals, charm and charisma. His turn at the mic had the crowds attention and he provided a nice counterpoint to Wood and Oh, Susanna. He started off with All I Need, a rocky song about love set to a catchy melody that had me humming it when I got up this morning. He also did a song that he said he didn’t normally do, it was an old song and I didn’t hear the title but it was a lovely song with nice vocal harmonies provided by Oh, Susanna. He really was the class of that set and the crowd was appreciative not wanting to let him go. You can get more info on Cuddy by visiting his official website or by visiting his MySpace page.

Falling by The Jim Cuddy Band

The next set was the one I had been anticipating. I had heard all kinds of good things about Jason Plumb but wanted to hear him for myself, the fact that he was playing with Kevin Hearn and Jenn Grant was just a bonus. I had heard Grant before, I caught her a couple of years ago at the CMW’s but she didn’t really impress me then. She is a much different performer now, more confident with a lot more stage presence and a more polished sound. This set was structured very much like the previous, with each performer taking a turn at the mic, this meant that everyone got to do at least three of their own songs. Grant opened the set and her unique vocals really caught the crowds attention. In fact, the crowd was very attentive to each artist throughout the set. Grant is often compared to Feist, Sarah Harmer and Sarah McLaughlin and her writing is definitely reminiscent of them, solidly written with sharp lyrics and melodies but I think her unusual delivery and sound has as much to do with her own innate creativity as it does to any her influences. I do have to say that her phasing and delivery do remind me of early Jane Siberry (now known as simply Issa). She still isn’t my cuppa, I much prefer her albums than her live shows, I just find her voice is much harsher live than on her CD’s. I have to give her props, though, for covering a much-loved Neil Young song, Only Love Can Break Your Heart. It’s not easy, I’m sure, tackling such an iconic song and she did it well if a little too heavy-handed for me. You can find Jenn Grant on MySpace and at her website.

Paper Airplanes featuring Buck 65 by Jenn Grant

Kevin Hearn is best known for his work with The Barenaked Ladies and The Rheostatics. He has a lovely voice that can be delicate or hard-edged. His songs were interesting but I was standing in the wrong spot because I had trouble hearing him. It didn’t help that there were two women who were laughing and talking loudly but the crowd was so thick that it was hard to move to a different spot without ending up out the door. The one lyric I did manage to catch belonged to a, I thought, humorous song about a relationship. I would definitely go see Hearn again, if only to hear what I missed last night but also because the stuff I did hear was intriguing enough to pique my curiosity. I also like his stuff on his MySpace. I’m sure a lot of people will be familiar with his songs, Lancaster Bomber and Map Of The Human Genome both of which I have heard on the radio.

Map of The Human Genome by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle

Lastly, Jason Plumb. As I said previously, I had heard a fair bit about him and was not disappointed. When it was his turn at the mic, you really could not take your eyes off him. His stint with the Walton’s did not get wasted because I’m sure he has taken that experience and used it as a jump-off point for his own career. His three songs were the best of the night, they built from simple acoustic guitar to epic endings that had everyone on stage playing full-out. Glenn Milchem got to show his sizeable drumming skills on these few songs propelling them along and never letting up. Plumb knew how to control the crowd, we never stood a chance from the first note. I’m not familiar enough with his songs to know them by sound and I didn’t hear the introductions so I’m guessing here but I think he did Empire On The Plains. If this was the song I think it was, then it was as dynamic a song live as it is on record. It started unpretentiously enough with acoustic guitar but built to a crashing ending with everyone on stage playing flat out. Wonderful. I would go see him again in a heart-beat. Get him on stage with Jim Cuddy and you’ve got yourself a party. He will be playing C’est What tomorrow (June 20) and I will try to get down to see him but there are other bands (Young Galaxy, Band Of Skulls, Emma Lee) I would like to see as well. Anyway, if you aren’t doing anything and you like alt/country go see him, you will have a great time. You can find out more into by visiting his MySpace page. And, as always, you can find all these artists music on iTunes.

Seems To Me by Jason Plumb and The Willing

Day one of NxNE started off with a bang. The Silver Dollar Room played host to the nights bands; Chang a lang, Pace The Stairs and Give us the Daggers. Normally this venue caters best to Jazz and rhythm & blues. Regardless of the genre being played, the contemporary influence makes for the perfect set when you add the crowd, the lighting and the stage.

First up was Chang A Lang, a trio from Toronto. Early into their set their songs had a strong power punk rock vibe with rabid drumming and quick direct lyrics. Lead singer Sonny Boy Okamoto never failed to lighten the crowd with his charisma. “It’s eight o’clock and were wasted let’s rock” And rock they did. Okamoto’s vocals sound parallel to a 1980’s Joey Ramone combined with the bands natural garage style. One of the highlights of their set was during the song “Ruth Was a Communist”. If you watched closely you could see the drummer twirl his sticks like a pro. These guys were my pleasant surprise of the evening.

Change A Lang – Ruth Was A Communist

Tradition meets progressive as the local experimental trio “Pace The Stairs” began their slot. If you’re unfamiliar with the live band that’s about to take the stage, their setup will always hint at something. The beat of the snare or the strum of their guitars all sounded normal to me. Mediocre even. That was until I heard the test vocals from “The Technician” (as they describe themselves). The obscenely high pitched scream was just a taste of things to come. I’m a fan of some post hardcore/screamo bands but these guys took it a step further. The rapid synth changes and percussion sharing demonstrated their experimental side during the song “Petalogy”. The band had a separate snare drum in the front that was used by the vocalists for additional beats. It was new to me, it was different. It worked well.

Pace The Stairs – Wet Matches

Rounding out my evening was the Toronto rock quartet “Give us the Daggers”. The band had a real Brit Rock/Classic rock sound. They proved that the tried and tested calculated guitar sequences will always get a crowd on their feet. “Bottle of Red” and “Drunk and High” were amongst their strongest during the set. Bassist Davey seemed to be in a trance of music moving to the bands beat with the most energy. Between their final couple songs I SWEAR I could hear a woman in the crowd ask the lead singer to take his pants off. I wish somebody who was there, could read this and confirm. Is it true? Can being a rock star once again get you laid? This might be a good idea for me to look into. I need a good fallback career should IT jobs get cut due to the economic crisis.

Give us the Daggers – Drunk and High

Sadly, this year I will be missing out on NXNE. I haven’t posted in about a week, mostly due to knee surgery if you follow us on Twitter. While still suffering, three of our writers will be heading out to concerts all over the festival. We’ll be having next day coverage by Nancy, George and Sheila. So while my preview took forever to write up, the concert reviews will be up a lot faster.

Anyway here’s a list of bands on the NXNE lineup:

Health – I gave their new single, Die Slow a 5 out of 5.
MP3: Die Slow by Health
No Age – Nouns is still so good to listen to.
MP3: Things I Did When I Was Dead by No Age
Matt and Kim – They like getting naked? (music video)
MP3: Yea Yeah by Matt and Kim
Aids Wolf – Odd but popular.
Amos The Transparent
Black Hat Brigade – Rob loves them.
Boxer The Horse – EP was pretty good
MP3: Jackson Leftfield by Boxer The Horse
Crystal Antlers
Emma-Lee
Hot Panda
In-Flight Safety
Inward Eye
Japanther – Quote from Adam Hvisc – “Not only was it one of the best live show I’ve seen, it was one of the best audiences I’ve been a part of. ”
MP3: The Dirge by Japanther
Ketch Harbour Wolves – Rob again loves them.
Lioness
Provincial Parks
The Deep Dark Woods
King Khan and the BBQ Show – heard he’s awesome live
Slim Twig
Timbre Timbre
Wintersleep
MP3: Weighty Ghost by Wintersleep
Woodhands
Woodpigeon – I wonder if anyone in their audience has ever played hopscotch
MP3: Love In The Time of Hopscotch by Woodpigeon

Yonge-Dundas Square
If you don’t want to see regular concerts or purchase a $50 wristband for the whole festival, at Yonge-Dundas Square they have a batch of awesome free concerts. Here’s a partial list of artists:
Thursday June 18: Black Lips, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Spiral Beach
MP3: Short Fuse by Black Lips
Friday June 19: Wintersleep, In-Flight Safety
Saturday June 20: The Sonics, Japanther, Crystal Antlers
MP3: Have Love Will Travel by The Sonics
Sunday June 21: Cool Kids, Gza, Candy Coated Killahz
MP3: Rich Kids by Candy Coated Killahz

I(heart)Music.net is also having a showcase at the Drake, it’ll feature:
Amos the Transparent, Black Hat Brigade, Oh No Forest Fires, The Balconies, The Urban Aesthetics
MP3: I Fell In A Dark Black Hole by Amos The Transparent -part of I(heart)Music.net’s Thank You Compilation – I hope Matt doesn’t mind me using this track.

Lastly here’s what Nancy, Sheila and George have proposed to see (so far, more to be added to this list):
George:
Thursday, June 18 – Silver Dollar Room
Chang A Lang
Mother’s Children
Give Us The Daggers

Friday June 19 – Horseshoe Tavern
Golden Isles
The Novaks
Dinosaur Bones

Saturday June 20 – Sneaky Dee’s
Fjord Rowboat
Priya Thomas
Little Girls
Cold Cave

Nancy
Thursday: – Horseshoe Tavern
Spookey Ruben
The Burning Hell
United Steel Workers Of Montreal
King Khan and The BBQ Show
Health
Opopo (maybe)
Tin Star Orphans (maybe)

Friday: Lee’s Palace
Bobby Conn
Mika Miko
The Dead Science
No Age
Special Guest (?)

Saturday: DD/MM/YYYY or Nasty Nav

Sunday: I may just hang out at El Mocambo and see the bands there

Thurs.

Jim Cuddy, Royal Wood etc
Kevin Hearn, Jenn Grant etc
Beth In Battle Mode

Fri.

Melissa Auf De Maur
The Cliks
Wintersleep
Hooded Fang

Sat. (this has been the hardest night for me and I’ve only got two for sure’s)

The Parkdale Hookers
Young Galaxy

Sun.
Hot Panda