Announcing: N2D Media Group

For Immediate Release
October 10, 2011

N2DS2W Launches Media Division

Dearborn, MI-- And you thought all we wrote about was Canadian indie music. In fact, one of us has been a writer/editor/web designer and communications specialist for more than 20 years. Together-- Cathleen Hagan and photographer Russ Gordon as N2D Images-- we're putting the logo we love on the work we already do. Visit our new website at www.n2dmediagroup.com to learn more. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

Show review: Beeps in Wolves' Clothing, Part 2

Beeps in Wolves' Clothing, Part 1

Dan Boeckner, Handsome Furs

Alexei Perry, Handsome Furs

Montreal's Handsome Furs-- Dan Boeckner, Wolf Parade bandmate of Spencer Krug, and wife Alexei Perry-- had hoped to end the evening with 1 a.m. fireworks outside of PJ's Lager House in Detroit's Corktown. But prudence prevailed and we had to settle for the aural pyrotechnics the Furs and Parlovr delivered earlier that night on Sat., Jul. 30. (The aforementioned fireworks were part of a glorious display over the shores of Lake Huron later on in the summer.)

Both bands are seasoned globetrotting performers-- CNN filmed Handsome Furs' travels through Vietnam, China and Thailand for the series Indie Asia-- but sometimes Detroit's reputation precedes it. Not the one that makes us cringe, the one we're proud of:  a city home to legendary musical history, talent and innovation. For bands that get this, no matter where in the world they've been, playing Detroit has some significance to it. Which explains Parlovr's earnest query to N2D after their set-- "How did we do? Was it okay?"

Louis Jackson, Parlovr

It was more than okay. From the first note it was all zeal, appeal and everything between "Hell, Heaven" from Louis Jackson (vox, guitar), Alex Cooper (vox, keyboard, guitar) and Jeremy MacCuish (drums). Like the band's name, there's a slightly-skewed element to the "Speech Bubble/Thought Cloud" of their alt-rock that keeps it interesting, whether it's fuzzy, dissonant hooks, time signature changes, suspenseful phrasing and/or vocals that range from plaintive to piercing within a few measures. With only one full-length self-titled album to date, this Montreal band is just getting started. We've heard what's to come, and it's pretty darn okay.

Alex Cooper, Parlovr

Jeremy MacCuish, Parlovr

What does it take to get a 20-to-30 something crowd to loosen up? If Handsome Furs' catchy, often anthemic electronic pop/rock and Perry's possessed-by-the-music performance at the keyboards couldn't get them dancing, we don't know what would. It may be possible to resist the club beats and evocative riffs with your feet, but the subject matter of much of their catalog, from the 2007 debut Plague Park, 2009's Face Control to this year's Sound Kapital, makes Handsome Furs as enduring as entertaining. Their observations on cultural landscapes and incongruities are well worth exploring, whether through lyrics or Perry's journals on their website.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Alert: Hollerado - Meet The Mayors Tour

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011

Next stop on the N2DS2W Fall road trip: off to see Hollerado, Canada's "hardest-working band," bring Americanarama to Mac's Bar in Lansing. Will the boys meet the mayor?

From Lansing, Hollerado heads to London, Ont. and Call the Office, for their show with The Pack a.d. and Wildlife on Fri., Oct. 7.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

McLeod directs new Ashley MacIsaac video

Windsor writer-director Sean McLeod, who recently shot videos for Pat Robitaille and the now-defunct Yellow Wood, has completed a new video for one of the most celebrated Canadian roots musicians, Ashley MacIsaac.

As an extensive world traveler, Ashley's experiences have led him to create his first full-band recording since 2002, Crossover, on his new label So Plaid. Over the course of three years and with six different studios, the combined efforts of Ashley and his musical friends have led to an album with everything from Celtic crossovers to soulful ballads, both instrumental and lyrical. During the recording period, Ashley decided he wanted to follow up in the vein of his first major hit record, “Hi How Are You Today?”

Ashley has ventured into many different genres in the seven albums recorded since then, but Crossover is similar to his first big hit, containing different styles on one album and spanning the range of sounds and influences and musical textures that Celtic music has to offer. It's a testament to his roots and talent and is Ashley at his best, playing uplifting, foot stomping, traditionally rooted tunes, melancholy and soulful tracks and powerful rock jams. (From a press release issued by MacIsaac's management, Talk's Cheap and MacIsaac's bio on his website, www.ashleymacisaac.com)

Writer/director Sean McLeod shared some thoughts in an interview with N2D, posted below the video.

N2D: How did you and Ashley wind up working together?

Sean: It was actually Pat Robitaille who hooked up the collaboration between Ashley and I. Ashley wanted a certain look to match the tune and liked my videos for Yellow Wood and Pat, so we had breakfast one morning and worked it out.

N2D: Where did you shoot it?

Sean: We shot the video at a junkyard in Windsor and rented some warehouse space for the water scenes.   We built the set in there.

N2D: Any quirky or great moments?

Sean: The only two issues we really had during the production was we had put a Pelican camera case too close to a generator's exhaust while we were filming and kind of melted a hole in it, luckily the camera and everything that usually goes in that case was with us. The other issue was with a giant 20' by 20' white silk we had erected as a giant bounce board. It basically acts as a sail once you get it up there so you gotta really make sure its anchored and tied off well. Moving that around locations is always an adventure. But other than that everything went smoothly, the crew were great, special shout outs to Steph Copeland, Bronwen Wood and Ryan Pukay who all are amazing help on set!

Show Alert - London: PS I Love You and Suuns

PS I Love You and Suuns @ Call The Office 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - 9:00PM

(Suuns video is brilliant but NSFW)

Show Alert: We're off to the lakes... The Besnard Lakes.

Since the current The Besnard Lakes and Malajube Canada/US tour is not coming through Windsor/Detroit, we thought we would take Windsor/Detroit west and invite the readers of N2D to join us for a road trip to Kalamazoo on Weds., Oct. 5.

The Besnard Lakes

Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

The Besnard Lakes w/ Malajube 

The Strutt  773 West Michigan

Kalamazoo, MI     (Map)

Guess who's back?

Toronto's Fucked Up  return to Detroit this Friday, September 30 at Majestic's Magic Stick.
Fucked Up front man Damian Abraham, a hugely knowledgeable fan of Motor City punk, will
lead his "most perfect name for any band in rock history" as they bring David To Life.
Wavves (San Diego) and Mexican Knives (Detroit) open.


Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Review: Beeps in Wolves' Clothing (Part 1)

Yeah, we blew it when we didn't go. But who knew Wolf Parade would announce they were going on indefinite hiatus only four days after they played the Crofoot last November?

As fate would have it, we did end up seeing Wolf Parade this summer. Sort of. Well, two members of Wolf Parade, and their personal projects that helped precipitate the WP hiatus: Moonface (Spencer Krug) with Flow Child and Phantasmagoria on Jul. 15 and Handsome Furs (Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry) with Parlovr on Jul. 30, at PJ's Lager House.

Phantasmagoria

Flow Child

Except for Parlovr, all of these artists, either solo acts or duos, rely on a variety of computer-driven electronics for their sound, with quite different results. Flow Child (Montreal) was the most abstract, presenting improvisational compositions reflective of his stage name. Detroit-based Phantasmagoria (Lianna Vanicelli and Christopher Jarvis) easily earned this year's "best band we'd never heard of" nod. Their sound is generally spare, combining both space-odyssey and tribal elements, tempered with appealing vocals, harmony and melodies. They've been playing a lot around Detroit; we definitely recommend checking them out.

Spencer Krug's wiki is like reading a who's who of Canadian indie. So it didn't surprise us to discover that the gentleman providing percussion was Mike Bigelow, most recently the bassist with Wintersleep. "I started the tour solo, but it just wasn't working," said Krug. Solo if you don't count the stark white screen at the front of the stage that ran a video for the entire set of a lone, somewhat autistic man (wearing a Detroit Tigers cap!) dancing languidly.














"Like eating a small, heavy piece of cheesecake" is how Krug describes his second EP (although it clocks in at 37 minutes) as Moonface, Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped. Yes, the music is dense, but there's nothing ponderous about these baroque journeys. Why? We'll let Krug tell you (from his artist profile on Jagjaguwar):
















"You see, I have a little dude who lives inside me that loves pop music, and he sometimes finds his way into my hands. When this happens, my fingers move toward the catchiest melodies they can, like bees to flowers with the most pollen. It can't be helped. The little pop-dude inside me turns a few notes into a melody and I say, 'Okay, that's nice little dude, a little poppy maybe, but nice, maybe we can use that once, somewhere in the song.' And he says, 'But wouldn't you rather hear it over and over again? Maybe throw it in a few times now, and then a few times again towards the end of the song? And maybe that 'drone' in your left hand would sound better if you moved it up and down the keyboard a little bit.' But then I say, 'Come on little dude, I'm no fool, that's just a chord progression you're trying to get out of me.' Next thing you know we'll be repeating it over and over again, the melody will be a hook, and I'll have made another random half-pop song... It's music played with an organ, organ beats, organ beeps and bloops, and some digital drums. Music based on layers and loops, the hypnotizing sound of a leslie speaker, and the onslaught of melody." Listen.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

It's Polaris Day!

Today is the day. Tune into CBC Radio 3 / Sirius 152 at 8 PM ET ( 5 PM PT) for the Polaris Gala hosted by Grant Lawrence and Damian Abraham. Commentary will be provided by Craig Norris and Vish Khanna.
It's Polaris Mania!

The 2011 Short List

Arcade Fire
Austra
Braids
Destroyer
Galaxie
Hey Rosetta!
Ron Sexsmith
Colin Stetson
Timber Timbre
The Weeknd

Show Alert: Born Gold @ Magic Stick

Although we're pretty lucky here in Metro Detroit when it comes to all-Canadian indie stacked shows, it's not uncommon for bands to come through as an opener (Yukon Blonde, Dan Mangan, Suuns, Little Scream). That's the case tonight (Sat., Sep. 17) at the Magic Stick, when Born Gold (the former Gobble Gobble) opens for Washed Out and Deastro. For $15 you could see eight bands at Phog Phest. But if you can't get to Windsor, we think you'll find Born Gold is well worth the price. They're touring in support of their debut LP as Born Gold, Bodysongs. Listen.

 From our review of their show at the Phog Lounge in April: Gobble Gobble (Edmonton)-- the brainchild of Cecil Frena, with Calvin McElroy, Corin Roddick and Graham Nickle-- took the crowd to a surreal kind of primal-tribal-mystical Roman theater set to experimental, futurist pop. With Frena at the microphone and keyboards/synth and Roddick at the drums, instead of bringing the crowd to the show, McElroy and Nickle brought the show to the crowd. Shirtless, in pink tutus, on drywall stilts, they roamed the room, thrusting strange objects out for people to touch, engaging in a mock battle with shovels. Weird and campy performance art? Sure. But make no mistake, the music is brilliant.

Born Gold @ Phog Lounge, Apr. 2011

Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Fest or Famine

There is no famine for lovers of Canadian indie music this weekend (unless you're talking about Windsor's Harvesting the FAM Festival 2011-- you'll just have to go hungry until Sep. 30 - Oct. 8 for that) unless you don't make it to one of these festivals:

Oh! Fest (priced at "pay what you can") kicked off tonight (Fri., Sep. 16) in London, but there's still plenty of music on Saturday (including an after hours show at Call the Office) and Sunday. Scheduled performers include DD/MM/YYYY, Meligrove Band, METZ, Boxer the Horse, Paper Lions, The Danks, The Weather Station, Bruce Peninsula, The Deep Dark Woods, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, By Divine Right and more.



Phog Phest 3 ($15), in the parking lot of Windsor's Phog Lounge. Music begins at 4 p.m. with ASK, and concludes with Grand Analog and Elliott BROOD, with great bands in between.



Before heading over to Phog Phest, we'll be catching Hey Rosetta! at the DIY Street Fair (free admission) in Ferndale for their 7:20 p.m. set. Hey, we couldn't say no.

We Were Lovers offer free single from upcoming album and announce North American tour dates.

In addition to announcing dates for a North American tour this fall, We Were Lovers have made "We've Got It," the first offering from their anticipated debut album (due out Spring 2012), available for free. Download the single, here:

MP3: "We've Got It" by We Were Lovers: http://pigeonrow.com/WeWereLoversWeveGotIt.mp3

We Were Lovers' (WWL) dancey beats, swirling atmospheric guitars, and dynamic synths convey a wide array of moods and themes, as strong female vocals wrap stories of love and loss around catchy melodies.  Ash Lamothe and Elsa Gebremichael have mastered a pop balance infusing electro, dreamy, rock and disco elements.  Known for their high energy live show, this duo's undeniable connection radiates from the stage. WWL will be touring across North America this October / November surrounding their showcase at Halifax Pop Explosion, previewing material from their upcoming album, due in the spring of 2012.


OCT. 06 - WINNIPEG, MB @ THE PYRAMID
OCT. 07 - THUNDER BAY, ON @  THE OFFICE
OCT. 08 - SAULT STE MARIE, ON @ TBA
OCT. 09 - SUDBURY, ON @ TOWNEHOUSE TAVERN
OCT. 10 - TORONTO, ON @ HORSESHOE TAVERN
OCT. 11 - TORONTO, ON @ RANCHO RELAXO
OCT. 12 - PETERBOROUGH, ON @ THE SPILL
OCT. 13 - KINGSTON, ON @ THE MANSION
OCT. 14 - OTTAWA, ON @ LIVE LOUNGE
OCT. 15 - MONTREAL, QC @  CFC
OCT. 18 - MONCTON, NB @ TBA
OCT. 19 - CHARLOTTETOWN, PE @ TBA
OCT. 20 - HALIFAX, NS - HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION @ THE SEAHORSE 11:30 PM
 OCT. 22 - FREDERICTON, NB @ THE CELLAR
OCT. 24 - PORTLAND, ME - TBA
OCT. 25 - BOSTON, MA @ TBA
OCT. 26 - HAMDEN, CT @ THE SPACE
OCT. 27 - NEW YORK, NY @ TBA
OCT. 28 - NEW YORK, NY @ PIANOS
OCT. 29 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ DANGER DANGER GALLERY
OCT. 31 - PITTSBURGH, PA @ BELVEDERES
NOV. 02 - DETROIT, MI @ TBA
NOV. 03 - TOLEDO, OH @ THE O TAVERN
NOV. 04 - CHICAGO, IL @ TBA
NOV. 05 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ TBA

Via: Matt Charlton, Pigeon Row (506) 540-1156 | matt@pigeonrow.com

BROOD, Grand Analog and more: Phog Phest 3

Phog Phest 2: Young Rival

Tickets are still available for Phog Phest 3, happening this Sat., Sep. 17 in the parking lot of Canada's Best Live Music Venue, Windsor's Phog Lounge. The $15 ticket price is small for a big lineup, plus if you buy in advance at the Phog, Dr. Disc, Jam Space, or the St. Clair College SRC, you'll be entered to win giveaways from CBC Radio 3, Wellington Brewery and more. See you there!

Your Phog Phest hosts: Tom Lucier (l) and Frank Incitti

Phog Phest 3 Facebook Event Page

Phog Phest 3 Band Lineup:

Elliott BROOD
Grand Analog (Toronto/Winnipeg)
The High Strung (Detroit)
What Seas, What Shores (Windsor)
The Swillingtones (Windsor)
Fiftywatthead (Windsor) - AC/DC set
Explode When They Bloom (Windsor)
ASK (Toronto/Windsor)

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Our Detroit area venue guide for bands

We are NOT booking agents. But, because we've had the distinct pleasure of chatting with and getting to know so many bands, more and more we're being asked: "Where can I play in the Detroit area?" So we decided to get all official and post something we hope will be helpful. Just click on the link above for our new page listing venues and information about them around Metro Detroit that book Canadian indie bands. If we've missed anything-- venues, details we should know about-- just drop us a line at n2ds2w@gmail.com and we'll update our list.

Show Review: That's Fucked Up

Post rating: NSFW
Warning: contains repeated instances of profanity

Deciding at the last minute to drive five hours round-trip to Call the Office in London, Ont.? That's Fucked Up.

Meeting up with fellow R3 bloggers ryanmaksymic and StephRamsahai for the show? That's awesome, not fucked up.

Seeing lead singer Damian Abraham's alter ego as doting dad? That's awesome, too. (Like we were going to say that's Fucked Up.)

Listening to Damian belt out "The Other Shoe" into a dead microphone? That's Fucked Up.

Receiving a sweat-drenched hug from a half-naked Damian? That's Fucked Up.

Getting your glasses destroyed in a mosh pit? That's Fucked Up.

Getting a negligible set of photos because you had to leave the good camera at home so it didn't get destroyed in a mosh pit? That's Fucked Up.

Marveling at the stoicism of a band that plays on while audience members crash the stage? That's Fucked Up.

Watching Damian give communion to the crowd during "Son, the Father"? That's Fucked Up.

Getting a parking ticket because you were so eager to get into the venue you forgot to pay? That's Fucked Up.