Somebody Wasn't Nice To Michou.

Photo by Russ Gordon/N2D Images

We hate writing these posts. Another sickening story of musicians having their equipment stolen. This is sad and disturbing as these are the tools that people use to earn their living. This time it was Windsor's Michou.

From the band's Facebook page today:

"Last night we had the unfortunate luck of having our car broken 
into and gear stolen. We had some gear in the trunk that was not 
visible from the outside. We have reason to believe someone has 
been watching us come and go with gear and has been planning the 
sting for some time. Please share this post and keep an eye out 
for the following gear. Attached are the serial numbers. We've made 
a police report and every pawn shop has to check serial numbers with 
the police before putting an item to sell. To get this gear back in the 
next week is critical. These pieces are our livelihood. Thanks for your help."

UPDATE: The Windsor Star

ITEMS STOLEN


Stefan:


Iron Coba Kick Pedal - Serial number 004


Sabian AA Rock Crash - Serial number 002


Sabian Rock Ride 18" - No serial number


Ziljian Light K Hi-Hat - Serial number 64 2388299647


Mike:


Pedal Pad Case - Serial number 007


Boss DD7 Digital Delay Pedal - Serial number CX76639


Boss BD2 Blues Driver Pedal - Serial number ZY26562


Boss RE20 Roland Space Echo - Serial number OO8


Boss TU2 Chromatic Tuner Pedal - Serial number OO9


MXR Micro Amp - Serial number O11


Roland EV5 Expression Pedal - Serial number O12



Please keep your eyes and ears open. If you run across any of this equipment, contact the Windsor Police Dept. (519) 258-6111.

Show Alert: Whales sighted crossing the Detroit River

Tues., Apr. 17
PJ's Lager House, Detroit - $8
Said the Whale with Chains of Love and Sam Bradley

If for some reason you couldn't cross the border last night for their Capitol Theatre show, the Whales are coming to you. If you like your alt pop with strong hooks, harmonies and earnest, clever lyrics, then you'll love Vancouver's Said the Whale, as they return to the Detroit area, this time with a new album, Little Mountain in tow. See if you hear a nod to an 1980s Detroit favourite in one of Little Mountain's singles, "Heavy Ceiling."


You'll hear more than a nod to Detroit from fellow Vancouverites Chains of Love. Led by singer Nathalia Pizzaro, the sextet have perfected an authentic, yet contemporary take on the 1960s Motown sound. They've already had three tracks in rotation on CBC Radio 3, including "In Between," from their Dec. 2011 7-inch record.

Photo by Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Alert: A Whale of a Show

Mon., Apr. 16
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
Said the Whale with Chains of Love
Tickets available through the Phog Lounge; $15 advance, $20 at the door
Early show; doors at 7 p.m., music at 7:30 p.m.

Said The Whale      Photo by Russ Gordon

Juno award-winning Said the Whale return to the area after their October show in Pontiac. Touring in support of their new album, Little Mountain, the Vancouver band are known for immensely likeable harmony-driven alt pop.

Chains Of Love    Photo by Patrick Fraser

Chains of Love are at the forefront of the retro trend coming out of Vancouver with their 60s soul revival.

Working Blue: an N2DS2W special edition featuring Toronto's catl.

 Purchase catl.'s new full-length record, Soon This Will All Be Gone, and you'll get 39 minutes of vintage blues filtered through 21st century Detroit and Toronto. But just like their albums are the pilot flame that ignites the band's scorching live shows, those 39 minutes represent a fraction of the sweat and tears, trials and tribulations that brought Soon This Will All Be Gone to fruition.

In conjunction with its release, we are pleased to bring you Working Blue: lifting the lid on catl.'s new album. Many thanks to catl. for generously allowing us to attend one of their sessions at Detroit's Ghetto Recorders last May, so that we could experience the creative process and share it with you.

Photo by Russ Gordon

The 'Keet Tweets for the week of Apr. 9

Wondering what Bob the Budgie has been tweeting to lately? Molly Rankin's "Way Home" remains a favourite, but here are some other songs on CBC Radio 3 he's been enjoying. By the way, Bob now has his own press kit.

"Narcisse"-- Duchess Says

"Hallways"-- Islands

"Replace Me"-- Chad VanGaalen

"Stairway"-- Yukon Blonde

"I Won't Try To Break Your Heart"-- Crissi Cochrane

the unquiet dead CD Release Party wsg The Schomberg Fair & Pat Robitaille

On Saturday April 7th, the unquiet dead proudly release their full length debut album, Tales of the unquiet dead: Book One. Recorded in Windsor, Ontario and produced by Mark Plancke at Shark Tank Productions, the 11-song CD will be available publicly for the first time at this special showcase at Windsor's historic Capitol Theatre and Arts Centre, in the heart of downtown Windsor.

Doors are at 6 p.m. and the show will commence at 7 p.m. with a beautiful solo set by Windsor's own Pat Robitaille. Pat has been wowing audiences and music fans for years, all across North America, with his gorgeous songwriting.

the unquiet dead will take the stage at 8 p.m. and will play every song from Tales of the unquiet dead: Book One as well as a few fun covers and perhaps a few preview songs from Book Two.

Closing out the night at 10 p.m. will be the amazing Toronto trio The Schomberg Fair. These high octane folk-blues superstars have sold out shows all across Windsor and have played some of the country's finest venues and festivals, including 2012 Canadian Music Week with the unquiet dead.

Following the show, there will be a CD listening of Tales of the unquiet dead: Book One and after party at Phog Lounge, located next door to the Capitol Theatre. Merchandise from all three acts will also be available and entrance will be FREE for all ticket holders or $4 for non-ticket holders.

Pricing as follows:

Advance Ticket (Admission Only): $10
Advance Ticket (with CD Redemption): $20
Ticket at the Door: $12
CD at the Event: $15

This is an ALL-AGES show, but it is also licensed. If you are 19+, you can purchase alcoholic beverages at the venue, but you must have valid photo ID.

This is a joint presentation of Phog Lounge, Jam Space and Artcite.

Via the unquiet dead

Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Winning America: CBC Radio 3's first documentary - National debut

What does it take for a Canadian indie band to make it in the States? That's the topic addressed by Winning America, the first documentary produced by CBC Radio 3. Airing Sat., Apr. 7 on CBC-TV (9 a.m. PST/noon EST), it follows the ups and downs of Vancouver band Said the Whale as they look for the elusive recipe to success in the U.S. Directed by Brent Hodge, the documentary is funny, poignant and has a message for any band, anywhere, hoping to beat the odds and make it big. If you missed them last October when they played Pontiac, it's also a great way to "meet" the band before they play Windsor's Capitol Theatre on Mon., Apr. 16 and PJ's Lager House on Tues., Apr. 17, with fellow Vancouverites Chains of Love.

Imaginary Cities Announce U.S. Tour + Show Review

If you're lucky-- and in the U.S.-- Imaginary Cities will soon be coming to a city near you.

They stopped by Windsor last November for a show at the Phog Lounge, along with Windsor's Menos Mal, and improbably, Ferndale, Michigan's Child Bite. Not your average punk band, Child Bite's progressive, complex rock was an interesting segue to Imaginary Cities' alt pop.

"Motown" is an adjective frequently associated with the band's sound (read about their adventures at Detroit's Fox Theatre when they toured with The Pixies last year) but Winnipeg is a long way from Detroit. You'll hear some Motown inflections in lead singer Marti Sarbit's distinctive voice-- think of an oboe with chops-- and some R&B/soul influences in the music, yet it's a mistake to pigeonhole Imaginary Cities into the current retro trend. Teamed with the talented Rusty Matyas, and backed by Ryan Voth on drums and David Landreth on bass on tour, the past for Imaginary Cities isn't a crutch, but a creative launch. Their first album is called Temporary Resident; if their early success is any indication (and even if they never make another album), they'll be taking up permanent residency in Canadian indie.
















Dates for their upcoming, and first, U.S. tour. Lansing on Jun. 8 is their only Michigan stop:

5.15, 2012 New York – Mercury Lounge
5.16, 2012 Philadelphia – North Star Bar
5.17, 2012 Washington, DC – Black Cat*
5.18, 2012 Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend*
5.19, 2012 Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern*
5.21, 2012 Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre*
5.22, 2012 Nashville, TN    Rocketown*
5.24, 2012 Oklahoma City, OK – ACM@UCO*
5.25, 2012 San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit *
5.26, 2012 Dallas, TX – The Door*
5.28, 2012 Little Rock, AR – Downtown Music Hall*
5.29, 2012 Springfield, MO – Outland Ballroom*
5.30, 2012 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room*

6.01, 2012 Columbia, MO – The Blue Note*
6.02, 2012 Iowa City, IA – Blue Moose Tap House*
6.04, 2012 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock*
6.05, 2012 Milwaukee, WI     – Turner Hall Ballroom*
6.06, 2012 Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre*
6.07, 2012 Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre*
6.08, 2012 Lansing, MI – The Loft at Harem Urban Lounge*
6.09, 2012 Toronto, ON – The Mod Club    *
6.11, 2012 Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall*
6.12, 2012 So. Burlington, VT – Higher Ground*
6.13, 2012 Northampton, MA – Pearl Street*
6.14, 2012 Pawtucket, RI – The Met*
6.15, 2012 Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s*
6.16, 2012 Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony*

* w/ MewithoutYou & Buried Beds

Summer Festival Preview

Dan Mangan at Home County Folk Fest 2011

Canadian folk festivals are announcing their lineups (we're still waiting on NXNE), including the Home County Folk Festival in London-- Jul. 20-22-- which N2D will be attending along with a robust group of CBC Radio 3 bloggers. Suggested donation per day is only $5, and CBC Radio 3 host Craig Norris will be on hand as a main stage announcer. Which band are we most looking forward to hearing? The Kramdens. The lineup thus far is listed below.

Hawksley Workman at Home County Folk Fest 2011

Sarnia's Artwalk (Jun. 2-3) has also announced their initial performer lineup. They're introducing ticketed evening shows this year, and making it well worth your money: Hawksley Workman and Regina's Rah Rah. Also scheduled to play: Sunparlour Players, who easily became one of our top shows of 2011 after seeing them at Windsor's Capitol Theatre.

Sunparlour Players at the Capitol Theatre

Home County Folk Festival
scheduled performers
(a few more to come):

Anabelle Chvostek http://www.annabelle.org

Bahamas  http://www.bahamasmusic.net

Carlos del Junco http://www.carlosdeljunco.com

Cuff The Duke http://cufftheduke.ca/info.htm

Dave Gunning http://www.davegunning.com

Eve Goldberg http://www.evegoldberg.com

Ian Thomas http://www.ianthomas.ca

Jayme Stone http://jaymestone.com

Jim Bryson http://www.jimbryson.org

Joel Plaskett http://www.joelplaskett.com

Kathleen Edwards http://www.kathleenedwards.com

Kinnie Starr http://www.kinniestarr.net

The Kramdens http://www.thekramdens.com

Liam Titcomb http://www.liamtitcomb.com

Maz http://www.espacemaz.ca

Olenka & the Autumn Lovers http://www.olenkalovers.com

Paul Langille http://www.execulink.com/~langill1/

Peter Katz http://www.peterkatz.com

Prydwen website under reconstruction

Quartette http://www.quartette.com

Sarah Smith http://www.sarahsmithmusic.com

The Woody Allens http://www.myspace.com/thewoodyallens



Photos: Russ Gordon//N2D Images

Show Alert: Rococode @ Phog Lounge

Sun., Mar. 25
Phog Lounge, Windsor
With Sea + Air (Germany) and Benjamin Winter (San Francisco)

The last time we saw Andrew Braun, he was wearing a dress. Not just anyone's dress. Hannah Georgas' dress.

That was Halloween 2010; now Braun is wearing a co-producer's hat and multiple instruments as a member of pop-rock quartet Rococode of Vancouver/Victoria. One of the top 20 bands in the 2011 Peak Performance Project, Rococode also includes Laura Smith (vocals/keyboard), and Shaun Huberts (vocals/bass) and Johnny Andrews (drums) of Tegan & Sara. Braun shared production credit with Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother on Rococode's debut album, Guns, Sex & Glory. Two singles have been in rotation on CBC Radio 3: "Empire" and "Weapon."

The Unquiet Dead ~ Parlovr

Three days. Three shows. Saturday with Parlovr. 

Parlovr

The Unquiet Dead

Windsor Music Scene 101 workshop for bands

Workshop presenter Murad Erzinclioglu has been there.

He's not only music director at CJAM 99.1 FM and co-creator of the Harvesting the FAM Festival in Windsor, he's been making music in a band for eight years, and writing about it for even longer. "I wrote a column on music for our school newspaper in fourth grade," says Erzinclioglu.

Over the course of his own musical career, "People told me things to do, but they don't tell you why," he notes. Bands attending the workshop will definitely not only get the why, but the who, what, where and when, as well as guidelines, contact sheets, and "What I think is a decent tracking guide," says Erzinclioglu.

Topics will include strategies for sending your music out, how to run a radio campaign, proper CD packaging for press and more. "Attendees are going to walk away with tangible things, certain steps they can take and use to make their band more successful," Erzinclioglu explains.

Solo acts and bands are both encouraged to apply. For more information and to register online, visit: http://acwr.net/news/

Workshop presenter Murad Erzinclioglu
(with the Windsor Rock Wall)

Show Alert: Bend Sinister

Thu., Mar. 8 @ Call the Office, London
w/ Teenage Kicks

Fri., Mar. 9 @ The Dugout, Windsor
w/ James O-L and the Villains and LEARNING

We have Bend Sinister (Vancouver) to thank for adding one of our favourite words to our vocabulary: flummoxoned. We think you will be flummoxoned too by Dan Moxon and Bend Sinister's 88-key powered indie pop/rock. Check out their CBC Radio 3 artist's page for a list of influences; but their sound is more ode than old. They're touring now in support of their just-released EP, On My Mind. Whatever you're doing tonight or tomorrow, give it a rest and go to one of these shows-- $5 in London, free in Windsor. (More tour dates below)




Mar 10 Toronto at Cherry Cola’s
Mar 13 Winnipeg, MB at The Pyramid Cabaret
Mar 14 Regina at The Exchange
Mar 15 Saskatoon, SK at Amigos
Mar 16 Calgary at The Gateway
Mar 17 Edmonton, AB at The Starlite Room
Mar 18 Banff at Wild Bill’s
Mar 19 Jasper at The Horseshoe Club
Mar 20 Fernie at The Northern
Mar 21 Nelson at Hume Hotel
Mar 22 Kamloops at Cactus Jack’s
Mar 23 Vancouver, BC at Venue Nightclub
Mar 24 Victoria at Club 9One9 

Show Alert: Dave Russell & The Precious Stones

Fri., Mar. 2 @ The Room, Windsor

Can't make it across the border for Arkells tonight? Don't stay home. There's no shortage of talent and budget-friendly shows in Windsor.

• Dave Russell (Windsor), with the Precious Stones, brings his heartfelt, easy-going and engaging singer-songwriter catalog to the Room.
• SixtyFirstSecond, Leighton Bain and Ravenscode play the Phog Lounge.
• The FM Lounge hosts a missing child benefit for the family of Bianca Jones.

• Free show at Villain's Beastro with  Sophist, Bleach, and Acousticfire.

Show Alert: Arkells take a Michigan Left

Arkells @ The Shelter
Detroit
Fri., March 2


Arkells leave "Jackson Square," take a Michigan Left and accelerate their trademark harmonies to well above the limit. Never asking "Where U Going," the Hamilton, Ont. rockers sound more mature, and not just "On Paper." On stage they never have "One Foot Out The Door," according to all the CBC Radio 3 listeners who voted them Best Live Act. Their new record will open the eyes and ears of the nascent Arkells fan, and further strengthen the band's "Bloodlines." Take that and a strong "Coffee" to your next "Book Club."

Show Alert: ISLANDS - Wed Feb 29 - Pontiac, MI

Islands WSGs @ Magnetic Recording Studio

http://www.thecrofoot.com/events/1768.html

http://www.rksrecording.com/rental-halls-in-oakland-county.htm

http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/artists/Islands

	Wed Feb 29, 2012
	Pontiac, Mich. (map)

Show Alert: Elliott BROOD

Thurs., Feb. 23
Magic Stick Lounge, Detroit
With Patrick Davy and the Ghosts

Bringing a little Northern Air to the winter that wasn't in Michigan, death country trio Elliott BROOD (Hamilton/Toronto) return to Detroit for the first time since 2009. We saw them three times last year (New Year's Eve at Lee's Palace in Toronto, Windsor's Capitol Theatre and Phog Phest III), and already braved one of the season's only snowstorms last month to catch them in Sarnia; they never bring anything but their all to a show. Celebrating 10 years as a band in 2012, their latest album, Days Into Years, chips away at the gritty death country label with a mellower vibe, but you can be sure of a foot-stomping, pan-clanging close to the show.

Show Review: You Will Hear Voices

During last year's CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards, one of the most hotly debated categories was Best Live Act. We'd seen three of the nominees: Rich Aucoin, Library Voices and Fucked Up. (We'll see the winners,  Arkells, on Mar. 2 in Detroit.) There was a lot of fervent love for Rich Aucoin, and with good reason. A Fucked Up show is an intense punk communion. But the majority of our votes went to Library Voices, for their gimmick-free performances built on the strength of sheer personality, musical and lyrical talent, enthusiasm and some of the most fun we've ever had at a show.

Summer of Lust, a second alt-pop gem featuring Mike Dawson's erudite lyrics (and on stage, his amusingly, sometimes alarmingly, tipsy keyboard stand), was still going strong when after a long 18-month wait, Library Voices returned to Windsor's Phog Lounge on Oct. 30, 2011 (read our first show review here). We've been fortunate to enjoy the band in this intimate setting when they're selling out much larger venues, which makes their traditional closing singalong, this time to Lennon's "Oh Yoko!", all the more like a house show. Already known for resilience-- they lost their instruments not once, but twice in one year due to theft and flood-- singer Carl Johnson more than embodied it that evening. He sang the entire set after pulling out a molar he'd broken the night before when he hit himself in the mouth with a mic.

Waterloo's Will Currie & The Country French opened, and what a difference a year made since we saw them in Sept. 2010. Certainly their previous show was good, but this performance was much heartier. Currie seemed shy before; this time he was clearly confident and at ease. Their first full-length album, Awake, You Sleepers!, is a familiar friend now, released in October 2011 after a long delay. The band is a bit hard to pin down genre-wise. Even their own artist page on Radio 3 uses five different adjectives: alt pop, retro pop, dancehall, indie rock and piano beat. Identity crisis? No, they're all accurate.

The Pack Are Back!

Vancouver BC's The Pack a.d. return to the Motor City supporting their most recent album Unpersons and joining Toronto's Our Lady Peace on their Urban Grind Tour.

Saint Andrew's Hall
April 7, 2012
Detroit, MI
Ticket info here.

Once again, bring your earplugs. You have been warned.


Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

JUNO NOMINEES

Congratulations to the 2012 JUNO nominees. While we're more attuned to the Polaris Prize and the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards (wink wink), we appreciate all the nominations the artists and musicians we know from CBC Radio 3 received. A JUNO nod will allow these wonderful people to be seen and heard by a much larger audience and hopefully get them the recognition they have earned and deserve.

Arcade Fire, City and Colour, Deadmau5, The Sheepdogs, Feist, Arkells, Sam Roberts Band, Dan Mangan, Diamond Rings, Lindi Ortega, Braids, Hey Rosetta!, Mother Mother, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Dallas Green, Jim Cuddy, Ron Sexsmith, Cuff The Duke, Jenn Grant, Destroyer, Fucked Up, Timber Timbre, Lights, Sloan, Matthew Good, Colin Stetson, Coeur de Pirate, Malajube, Classified, D-Sisive, Kardinal Offishall, Swollen Members, Duck Sauce, Good Lovelies, The Deep Dark Woods, The Wailin’ Jennys, Twilight Hotel, Socalled, Jannie McInnes (Art Director), Robyn Kotyk, Graydon Sheppard, Sammy Rawal, Petra Cuschieri (Designers), Heather Goodchild (Illustrator), Taylor Kirk (Art Director/Photographer), Robyn Kotyk (Designer), Nina Nielsen (Photographer), John JP Poliquin, Jon Busby, Jose Lourenco, Michael Maxxis, Mike Roberts, Anthony Seck, Chip Sutherland, Elinor Svobodo/Salazar, Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, Piers Henwood, Nick Blasko, Austra, Junior Boys, Tim Hecker, Anvil, Cauldron, Devin Townsend Project, Fuck The Facts, KEN mode.

Show Alert: Will Currie & The Country French

Fri., Feb. 3
Nite Owl Lounge, London, Ont.

Sat., Feb. 4
Phog Lounge, Windsor
With: Menos Mal (Windsor)


Listen to the classic piano-driven alt pop of Waterloo's Will Currie & The Country French, and it's hard to believe that Currie was a percussion major in university and has never had formal piano lessons, as he reveals in an interview with Amanda Putz on Bandwidth (with WC&TCF drummer Aaron Mariash).

But the piano is, after all, as much a percussion as a stringed instrument. Currie admits he'd "fiddled around" with keyboard instruments for a long time, so no wonder it proved the perfect medium.You can also hear Currie and Mariash discuss the inspirations behind the band's great debut full-length album, Awake, You Sleepers!; hear it live in both London and Windsor this weekend. We've seen them twice before, and we think you'll find it a Whale of a good time.

Fare Thee Well, Wheat Pool

Ever heard a song by a band that seems as if it was written just for you? That perfectly captures a time and place in your life, emotionally, literally?

For us, that song is "This Is It" by The Wheat Pool. It came along at a time of endings and beginnings, of uncertainty and leaps of faith. And hearing it performed live-- and other songs we love-- in an almost private setting, made that evening one of our top shows, and most treasured moments, of last year.

So we were saddened to learn that The Wheat Pool has announced that it no longer exists as a band. You'll get no hand-wringing from us; we wouldn't be where we are today if we didn't change and grow. They left us with two beautiful albums. We're just disappointed there won't be any more. We know we haven't heard the last from them. Mike Angus has already released a fine solo album, and Glen Erickson launched a music video company, Heavy Grain. We wish them all well in their new endeavors, as we offer a fare thee well.

From The Wheat Pool:

“No one knows how to begin to say something they don’t want to say.  And we are men, it is especially difficult.  This March 23, 2012, it will be the seven year anniversary of the first show the four of us played as The Wheat Pool.  It will also be the last show we play together as The Wheat Pool.


It is hard to name the exact reason why, although we know we are going to be asked a fair bit.  From the beginning The Wheat Pool was a relationship; it was the convergence of two brothers, and the uniting of four guys who cared as much about each other as they did the music. It was a really really good thing. So who can explain how a relationship changes?  When it began it was compelling and sweet; it was four guys coming together to find something special.  In seven years we have had the best times and the worst times of our lives, on and off the road.  That particular “something special” which bound us together and moved us forward appears to be gone, and we aren’t the types to try and force it, manufacture it, or fake it.  We would rather burn bright and burn out.  We have admitted that we aren’t four guys in the same place anymore, and that makes it really hard to be a great band.  So we are moving on.


We of course have an impossible amount of people we could thank, because of the incredible gratitude we feel for the opportunities we have had over these years.  We worked our ass off for those opportunities, very little was handed to us, but we shared all of them with as much grace and love as we could for the people we shared them with, the people who opened their doors, venues, stations and homes to us.  If you have known us, hosted us, played with us, watched us or bought our music, please know how deeply grateful we are for the opportunity.  The memories are so rich.”

Much love,
Mike, Robb, Stephane, and Glen

So, I guess this is it.







Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images