Show Alert: Arkells

Wed., Jun. 25
The Magic Stick ~ Detroit
With Step Rockets and George Morris & The Gypsy Chorus
$12

If you missed them last year at The Shelter-- we didn't-- now's your chance to see for yourself why Hamilton's Arkells were voted Best Live Act by CBC Radio 3. And if you're wondering what they've been doing since Michigan Left, you'll get to hear that as they perform new songs from their upcoming album High Noon, out in August.

NXNE 2014 Day One: The same, but different

One drum, one bass, two guitars and vocals. After a great meal at Wvrst, we heard that ubiquitous combo interpreted three different ways by three relatively new bands our first night of NXNE 2014.

First up: Monomyth from Halifax. In addition to a song in rotation on CBC Radio 3-- "Cigarette"-- they recently signed with Mint Records, which will release Saturnalia Regalia July 22. Descriptions of the band are all over the map: psych pop, shoe-gaze, space pop, surf rock. Their style is all over the map, which is what we liked, especially combined with occasional dissonance and rhythm changes.

Toronto's Brave Little Toaster was off our radar but on stage before our next scheduled show. They win for band name least likely to invoke what the actual band sounds like. They call it soul twang, we call it rock as basic as bread. But all the good ingredients are there: energy, talent and solid harmonies.

It's been two years since we saw Stella Ella Ola; drummer Vince Rice promises an album is coming soon. Based on the great set of alt pop/rock we heard at the Silver Dollar, it promises to be worth the wait. Until then, you'll have to be content with this brand new video for "Peter Sellers."

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Where we'll be at NXNE 2014

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... our wedding at NXNE was last year, but we're certainly looking forward to seeing "old" bands and new this year. The only thing blue may be Bob the Budgie, because he won't get to see Alvvays. But we will, and a whole lot more 100% Canadian indie. Here's where we're planning to be at NXNE. You can check out the bands and venues and make your own schedule here.

When	Who	Where
Wednesday Jun. 18 8:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m.	Monomyth Glory Glory Stella Ella Ola Vaudevillianaires	Drake Hotel Underground Drake Hotel Underground Silver Dollar Bovine Sex Club
Thursday Jun. 19 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. 1:00 a.m.	Doomsquad PS I Love You Andre Ethier How Sad Viet Cong Odonis Odonis	Edward Day Gallery Mod Club Theatre Smiling Buddha Dakota Tavern Smiling Buddha The Garrison
Friday Jun. 20 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m.	The Danks Rah Rah Alvvays Culture Reject Shred Kelly Ketamines	The Horseshoe Tavern The Horseshoe Tavern Mod Club Theatre Handlebar Dakota Tavern Smiling Buddha
Saturday Jun. 21 5:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.	NQ Arbuckle Zeus Slow Down Molasses METZ	Cameron House Cameron House Dakota Tavern Lee's Palace

NXNE 2014: We get caught mapping

We're pretty sure you're not going to NXNE for The Pizza Underground. So who are you going to see?

Big surprise, our focus as always will be on Canadian indie bands we haven't seen, and some we can't resist seeing again. If you're still working on your schedulizing, we thought we'd help out with a regional round-up. We've starred the bands we've seen before and recommend. You can see our personal picks when we post our annual "Where we'll be at NXNE" next.

You can check out any of these bands by visiting the NXNE artists page.

Detroit/Windsor: Blaire Alise & The Bombshells, Danny Brown, Jovie, The Kickstand Band, Silent Movie type, The Unquiet Dead*, Vaudevillianaires, Walter Senko

Toronto: Alvvays, Andre Ethier, NQ Arbuckle, Ark Analog, Beliefs, Bidiniband, Cousins, Culture Reject, The Danks*, Dearly Beloved, Doomsquad, Dusted, Golden Dogs, Gramercy Riffs, Hands and Teeth*, John
Southworth, Julie Fader, Ketamines, Ketch Harbour Wolves, Language Arts, Lindi Ortega*/Harlan Pepper*/Lee Harvey Osmond*, Lindy, METZ, Michael Rault, Odonis, Stella Ella Ola*, Whitehorse/Jim Cuddy, Wilderness of Manitoba*, Zeus*

From around Canada: Amos the Transparent*, Barr Brothers, Federal Lights, How Sad, Jenny Omnichord*, Joel Plaskett Emergency*,The  Jerry Cans, The Lovely Feathers, Mac DeMarco*, Mise En
Scene, Monomyth, Pif Paf Hangover, PS I Love You, Rah Rah*, Royal Tusk, Shred Kelly*, Sidney York, Slow Down Molasses*, The Wet Secrets*