More than a feeling

Another local duo, Ennuie, picked up the torch from We Fled Cairo. At previous shows I've had a bit of trouble summing them up. This show was even more chaotic than usual, with a between-songs pop culture quiz sidetracking things, but strangely enough I found the music more cohesive than last time. Maybe that's because they only had time to work their way through a few songs. Scraping and chunking indie guitar with weird effects from Luca, while Ivana yelps and speak-sings. They're a bit like the Magik Markers.

A tune is broadcast through Luca's pickups.



Ivana cycles in place, keyboards and sings.





Ivana speaks and spells.



Quiz time. Luca gave up after the first couple of questions. He still one because Ivana kept blurting out the answers instead of using the supplied chalkboard.



Ennuie action!







I really liked this performance quite a bit, even if it was a bit higgledy-piggedly.

• Show reminder: Rickity Ship and Use Every Part of the Deer play Zaphod's; The City Above, Bass Lions and ZingZing perform at Cafe Dekcuf.

There you go again

I have a decent-sized slice of this week, and a good run of shows worth checking out as well.
If only I weren't working this Tuesday, I could have jetted off to Cafe DeKcuf and see Anaal Nathrakh make their Canadian debut; unfortunately the band didn't dot their Is and across their Ts before setting off, so no show (this includes no Nefastus Dies, Panzerfaust and Endemise). If it's any consolation, Insurgent Inc. and Metha Mean bring some industrial crunch to Zaphod's. The Stans, Tomorrow's Downfall, Remember When play the Bytown Tavern for those whose taste in music doesn't run to metal of any flavour.


Rickity Ship, Irene's, April 19, 2008

On Wednesday, Rickity Ship and Use Every Part of the Deer play Zaphod's; The City Above, Bass Lions and ZingZing perform at Cafe Dekcuf.
Thursday, Sarah Slean and Royal Wood perform at the Bronson Centre theatre. In a somewhat different vein, and for a whole lot less (i.e., free) The Fucking Machines and The Annoyers play the Bytown Tavern.
Friday Amy Honey and Slo' Tom split the bill at Irene's. Critical Convictions, Castevets (Montreal), The Vanishing Act and The Dirty Nuns rock the A&A Speedshop at 279 Flora. The Expos, PDH, Bad News Bears, The Possums and The Living Sound System play Mavericks. John Allaire plays the Elmdale Tavern. The Ethics and Winchester Warm (Jonathan and Matt from Poorfolk and plus diverse hands) play Babylon.


The Coast, Zaphod Beeblebrox, September 30, 2007

Saturday, The Allrights play the show they didn't before. The Coast return to Zaphod's with The Murder Plans and The Montelongos. The Dead Science and Kingdom Shore play Sounds Unlikely. Holy Cobras, The Suppositories and Savage Crimes rock Cafe Dekcuf.
Finally, on Sunday you can catch Male Nurse for free at The Manx.

Dance Like An Egyptian

Alas, despite requests for the evergreen Bangles tune from the duo of Richard Monette and Dave Mandia, there were no covers at Saturday night's house show at 443 Kent, just some lo-fi instrumental fuzzcapades. Dave apologized to the crowd for the show being a little more punk rock than expected; the audience didn't seem to object. I'll have to see what they sound like with an actual PA.

Richard and Dave throw a few gang signs on the couch for the official band photo.



Fleeing action! Complete with a reflective action. I was hoping to catch a few passersby in a photo, but Kent St. was awful quiet that night.







Richard works the keys.



Dave drums - they saved the bandannas for the finale number.



And here it is, complete with instrument switching. Dave borrowed Luca from Ennuie's Ibanez for the occasion.





If you want to see what We Fled Cairo looks like playing in a basement, you can check them out at 59 Argyle tonight along with Shearing Pinx and Fucked Corpse.

• Show reminder: It's a folkie free showcase at Zaphod's with Shannon Rose, Michael Munnik, Montreal's Nightwood and Dennis Larcher. The Sick Sick Sicks perform at The Rainbow. Psychic Hotline (ex-Death March Volunteers, Robot Kill City and Allumettes, plus one current Sleeping Pilot) and Traitor Companion Registry play another free show, this at The Manx.
  

Housebound

I can't remember the last time I was at a house show - the closest thing was the last Birdman Sound Shed Sessions, and that was some years ago. Calum Marsh of Mocking Music and his housemates hosted four bands last night: Vancouver's Secret Mommy Quintet, Montreal's Winks and local outfits We Fled Cairo and Ennuie.

First band on was We Fled Cairo, and instrumental duo (particularly on this occasion, since drummer Dave's throat was suffering). They're playing another house show at 59 Argyle tomorrow.



Up next, Ennuie, the only combo I was familiar with. And yes, Ivana is sitting on an exercise bike. They conjured up an almost psychedelic throb this time around. They also had a pop quiz which I think Luca won by not answering any of the questions.



The two out-of-town combos took the usual indie pop formula and gave it some twists: The Winks use mandolin, cello (with some extra effects for a ferocious sound) and drums. There was also some tap-dancing.



The Secret Mommy Quintet gets its rhythms from glitchy techno and surrounds them with a couple of guitars, xylophones, saxophones, shakers, and accordion. I guess I can't say I'm totally unfamiliar with the band, because that looks an awful lot like Shane Krause of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (It's a little hard to tell without the TSHDT?-issue beard) And I believe that tattoo belongs to Sarah Doer. Andy Dixon is the guy on guitar and laptops. Not shown is Gregory Adams, who is in Andy's other band Winning. I believe the gal on xylophone is named Merida.



And I'm not going to say any more because it's 3 a.m. and I need to sleep.

• Show reminder: Blindwitness, With Blood, Buried and Breathing, There Were Thousands, Theressa Knorr and Her Last Words perform at Mavericks. Ska Fest skanks on out with Trip The Off, One Night Band, Tea For The Voyage, Fleeba and Sick Sick Sicks frontman Kid Cossette at The Bayou.

The devil's music

The last act of the evening, Winnipeg's Details. They sound a bit like a younger, poppier Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, but they aren't strident imitators. An energetic band on stage - I can see them becoming quite popular.

Up front, Jon Plett on vocals and guitar.



Sean Vidal, Les Paul rocker.



Keli Martin, bass player and foot-tambouriner.



And last but not least, drummer Shaun Gibson.



And now, detailed action!





Some last song yelling.



The end, or close to it!



They're now on the western leg of their tour.

• Show reminder: Punks unite at Babylon with The Casualties, The Krum Bums, Zero Hours and Gunned Down; Mothers of the Lower East Side trip out at the Avant Garde Bar - it's a new incarnation of Mile Over Mecca as far as I can tell. Skafest, Day 2 hits The Bayou with The Real Deal, Keepin' 6, Fleeba, The Dirty 30s and Nummies. Viscera's Recital, The Love Machine and Brights rock Mavericks.

After the frenzy

Many years ago, before my photograph-taking days, I saw The Frenetics perform at The Dominion. If memory serves it was also the first time I saw The Phantom Shifters - must have been fairly early in their career. All I really remember is the Frenetics had a powerful woman drummer who looked like a bit of a rockabilly. Malcolm Bauld now performs in the folk-punk vein, and with his strong voice and energetic style does a fine job of it. (Meanwhile, that drummer, Anne Gauthier, can be seen performing in Hot Springs and Kickers).

That Malcolm!





And taking a turn on the keys.



He finished things off with an assist from The Details' rhythm section: Bassist Keli Martin and drummer Shaun Gibson.





His tour is basically over; he officially launched his new album Covered In Dust in Montreal last Friday.

• Show reminder: Skafest kicks off with One Night Band, Whitey, Tea For The Voyage, Clock Strikes Music and Bad News Bears at The Bayou; Charlottetown fancy shirt fans Nudie and The Turks bring some old school country to the Elmdale Tavern. Sarah Hallman, Michael Holt and Tanya Philipovich play Irene's.
  

In the house

Some last-minute show notices: Halifax noiseniks Rad Rat will be playing at 59 Argyle tonight. Some of the Fucked Corpse folks will also be "throwing together a big jam" - this is different from a usual Fucked Corpse show how, exactly?


Fucked Corpse, Babylon, June 25, 2007.

Wednesday, Full Blown Whores, Everything Less and Broken on Site play Zaphod Beeblebrox. On Thursday Gunsmoke and The Arkhams will be rocking the pizza party at the Bytown Tavern.