VIDEO - The Pack a.d. - Positronic

Directed by Lloyd Choi.


 

"This video has robots and fights and vomit. So, basically, we think it's great." The Pack a.d

The Pack a.d. - Unpersons Tour Unleashed

When Unpersons hits stores on September 13 in Canada and on the 20th in the States, The Pack a.d. will have established themselves as a band by which to compare others.

Like their last two albums, The Pack a.d. recorded Unpersons at the legendary Hive Studios with engineer Jesse Gander. However, where famed Detroit producer Jim Diamond (Electric 6, The Detroit Cobras, The White Stripes) mastered 2010's we kill computers from afar, he flew in — on his own insistence — to produce Unpersons first hand. After these sessions, the band went back with him to Detroit to perfect the mixing.

The result is a flawlessly produced and performed record that projects all the snarl, piss, vinegar, venom and vitriol heard on their first three albums into a realm that is distinctly their own. Any reference one may wish to make to The Kills or White Stripes is no longer relevant. The Pack a.d. stand unequaled. 

Listen to Sirens here.

From Killbeatmusic.

The Pack a.d. Unpersons Tour Dates

All Canadian dates presented by Exclaim!

Sept 10 - Fresh U Jamboree, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB 
Sept 12 - The Alibi, Arcata, CA
Sept 13 - Streetlight Records, San Jose, CA (afternoon show, all ages)
Sept 13 - Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA
Sept 14 - The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA
Sept 16 - Soma, San Diego, CA
Sept 17 - Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA (with LA Guns)
Sept 18 - TBA, Las Vegas, NV
Sept 19 - The Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Sept 20 - The Badlander, Missoula, MT
Sept 21 - Mootsy's, Spokane, WA

Sept 23 - OLIO Music Festival - Vancouver, BCSept 24 - Rifflandia Music Festival, Victoria, BCSept 26 - Habitat, Kelowna, BC (with guests Sun Wizard)
Sept 27 - Republik, Calgary, AB (with guests Sun Wizard)
Sept 28 - The Pawn Shop, Edmonton, AB (with guests Sun Wizard)
Sept 29 - Louis' Pub, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (with guests Sun Wizard)
Sept 30 - Lo Pub, Winnipeg, MB (with guests Sun Wizard)

Oct 01 - The Aquarium, Fargo, ND
Oct 02 - Hell's Kitchen, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 04 - Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA
Oct 05 - OFF Minor, Dubuque, IA
Oct 06 - Daytrotter Session Recording - Rock Island, IL
Oct 06 - The Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL

Oct 07 - Call The Office, London, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 08 - Casbah, Hamilton, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 09 - The Mansion, Barrie, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 10 - Mansion House, St Catharine's, ON
Oct 12 - Market Hill, Peterborough, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 13 - The Mansion, Kingston, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 14 - The Alexander, Brantford, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 15 - The Opera House, Toronto, ON (with Hollerado)
Oct 16 - Cafe Dekcuf, Ottawa, ON

Oct 19 - Phog Lounge, Windsor, ON
Oct 20 - Lager House, Detroit, MI

Oct 22-28 QUEBEC Shows TBA

Oct 29 - The Vibe Lounge, Rockville Centre, NY
Oct 30 - The Charleston, Brooklyn, NY

Nov 01 - O'Brien's Pub, Allston, MA
Nov 02 - Hard Rock Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
Nov 03 - Motr Pub, Cincinnati, OH 

Yukon Blonde set to release Fire//Water EP, announce North American Tour dates

Written partially while on the road, and partially while at a cottage in the Comox Valley (BC), Yukon Blonde recorded a total of 15 songs over the course of the summer. With four tracks completed, they will soon be putting the finishing touches on the remaining 11 tracks that will make their way on to their sophomore long player in early 2012.


http://www.killbeatmusic.com/yukonblonde/yukon_blonde-fire.mp3

Photo: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Yukon Blonde Fire//Water Tour Dates

28 Sept - Nelson, BC @ Hume Hotel             
29 Sept - Calgary, AB @  Gateway @ SAIT    
30 Sept -  Lethbridge, AB @ The Slice            
01 Oct - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo's     
02 Oct - Winnipeg, MB @ WECC      

03 Oct - Minneapolis, MN @ Nomad Pub *      
04 Oct - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen *   

06 Oct - Sarnia, ON @ Paddy Flaherty's        
07 Oct - London, ON @ Fanshawe College   
08 Oct -Windsor, ON @ Capital Theatre       
10 Oct - Hamilton, ON @ Casbah      
11 Oct - St Catharines, ON @ Mansion House         
13 Oct - Guelph, ON @ eBar              
14 Oct - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace             
15 Oct - Kingston, ON @ Grad Club             
19 Oct - Corner Brook, NL @ Bar Room        
21 Oct - St. John's, NL @ The Ship     
25 Oct - Sackville, NB @ George's Roadhouse          
26 Oct - Halifax, NS @ Seahorse Tavern       
27 Oct -Charlottetown, PE @ Hunters Ale House    
28-Oct - Fredericton, NB @ The Capitol        
29 Oct - Quebec City, QC @ Le Scanner       

31 Oct - Brooklyn, NY @ Rock Shop *    

01 Nov - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo              
02 Nov - Ottawa, ON @ Ritual          
03 Nov – Sudbury, ON @ Townehouse Tavern        
04 Nov - Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops              
05 Nov - Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks           
07 Nov - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite     
10 Nov - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore              
11 Nov - Victoria, BC @  Sugar          

15 Nov -Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *        
16 Nov - Nashvile, TN @ 3rd & Lindly *          
17 Nov -St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *       
18 Nov - Louisville, KY @ Zanza Bar *            
19 Nov - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Café *       
21 Nov - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café *           
22 Nov -Cleveland, OH @ Beachland  *       
23 Nov - East Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar *        
25 Nov - Chicago, IL @ Panchos  *      
26 Nov -Milwaukee, WI  @ Cactus Club *        
28 Nov -Minneapolis, MN @  7th Ave Entry *             
30 Nov - Rockisland, IL @ Huckleberry Pizza *          
01 Dec - Ames, IA @ The Maintenance Shop *           
02 Dec - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr *            
03 Dec - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room *        
04 Dec - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom - 2nd Stage *    
06 Dec -  Little Rock, AR @ Juanita's Cantina *           
07 Dec - Dallas, TX @ Double Wide *   
08 Dec - Houston, TX @ Fitz Downstairs *       
09 Dec - Austin, TX @ Emo's Inside *    
11 Dec -  Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *       
13 Dec -  Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *    
14 Dec -Boise, ID @ Neurolox *             
16 Dec - Spokane, WA @ A Club *       
17 Dec - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile  *     
18 Dec - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir  *    
21 Dec - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar *           
22 Dec - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *           
23 Dec - Los Angeles, CA @ Echo *      

* All US shows co-headline w/ The Fling

There's Something In (On) The (Northern) Air

Windsor's favourite second sons, Elliott BROOD, announced today that "Northern Air," the first single from their forthcoming album will debut this coming Friday, April 29 on Grant Lawrence's weekly podcast.

According to the band's website, "Northern Air" will be available as a free download from May 1st until the long weekend. The song will also be available on a limited edition 7" vinyl in mid-May. The 7" record titled "Northern Companion" will be available from the site and at live performances this summer.  

Can you pick out the new songs?

As a side note, Grant Lawrence's debut book, Adventures in Solitude, a memoir of his time spent at his family cabin in a remote area of the West Coast, has won the BC Book Prize for the Bill Duthie Book of the Year, as chosen by the booksellers of British Columbia. Our most sincere congratulations are in order, Grant.

Thanks: Killbeat Music  Six Shooter Records

Show Alert: GOBBLE GOBBLE w/ Rich Aucoin @ Phog Lounge

Tues., Apr. 19: Phog Lounge

Opening band: (wh)y.m.e.(??) (Windsor)

RICH AUCOIN: Radio 3 bloggers who attended the CBC Radio 3 Showcase last year at SXSW's sister festival, NXNE, raved about Halifax-based Rich Aucoin. This could be why (courtesy of Aucoin's publicist, Killbeat Music): "On a mission to create a euphoric communal experience, Rich Aucoin writes music that transcends. With his first commercial release, Public Publication, Aucoin has created anthemic pop, breaking the barriers between audience and performers, inviting everyone to create this lush-yet simplistic, electro-pop music together." Listen.

GOBBLE GOBBLE 

We kept mistyping "Goggle Goggle" when working on this post. From what we hear, that's what we will be doing at the show tomorrow. When GOBBLE GOBBLE (Cecil Frena) played the Phog last September, Tom Lucier posted: "I have been stopped at least a dozen times by hardcore music fans in Windsor asking me if this is actually true or not, GOBBLE GOBBLE playing Phog... they go on to explain that this band is simply unlike anything else they’ve ever seen." Listen.

GOBBLE GOBBLE at this year's SXSW, courtesy of CBC Radio 3

Yukon Blonde w/ The Paint Movement @Phog Lounge

Yukon Blonde sell out Phog Lounge again.  Not a huge surprise.

It's always a great show with this VAN via Kelowna, BC band whose dedication to rocking hard while delivering their trademark harmonies is becoming known across Canada and throughout the world.  The core threesome, Jeff Innes, Graham Jones and Brandon Scott have toured, toured, toured, taken time off to write new songs and are back on tour to warm up for the tour to promote the forthcoming album.  They never stop.

Yes, there's another new bass player.  Longtime bassist Andy Bishop is working on his band Red Cedar.  The most recent bass player, Jason Haberman, was a welcome tour partner and great addition and has his own band (see below).  Now we welcome John Jefferey, another stellar addition to the band, whose swaggering hair-in-the-face playing and outright talent make him a good fit.

Toronto's The Paint Movement opened the show and opened some eyes with a super-tight set and a lineup of musicians that will soon move from the Who's That? list to the Who's Who list.  Touring with friends Yukon Blonde for just over a month, The Paint Movement joined Yukon Blonde for a few songs and a rousing jam session.

A year in the making, The Paint Movement's upcoming full length album was finished in early 2011. Throughout this entire time the band decided not to play any shows and just focus entirely on writing the music.  The band returned to live music in January 2011; the first two songs were released on March 1st as a digital 45 and a tour-only white vinyl 7" which were available at the shows.  The full length album will be released in the fall of 2011.

The Paint Movement are:

Jason Haberman - Guitar, vocals

Kevin Kralik - Guitar, vocals

Diana Planche - Keys, vocals

Wes McClintock - Bass

Jason Loftman - Sax

Glenn Candy - Drums

Thanks to Nevado Records  Killbeat Music

Photos:  Russ Gordon

We Are The City release High School on March 22

PEAK Performance Project winners We Are The City are getting ready to release High School, a short but worthy collection of songs that will make your ears thank you.

In their own words:  "The High School project initially began as a separate band, which we started during the summer of 2010 as another creative outlet.  We tied T-shirts over our faces and adopted fictional aliases.  Cayne was Lindsey Jone.  Andrew was Matthew Curran.  Later, Blake joined in as Bobby Reynolds.  These characters gave us a chance to explore some shameful memories that we've previously avoided talking about. 

This recording is the first time that we've played the High School songs as We Are The City.  

Their recent Phog Lounge live show review can be seen here.

More tour dates and info HERE.

Photos: Russ Gordon

.

Show Review: We Are The City w/ Aidan Knight @ Phog Lounge

March 4. Friday night.  Windsor's Phog Lounge.  He walked up behind us and began setting up his merch table.  "Wow," I said, "I had no idea you were so tall."  A big smile and a handshake later, we were off to a great start to a great evening with Victoria, B.C. native Aidan Knight and Kelowna, B.C.'s We Are The City. 

Besides being a multi-instrumentalist and having numerous credits on albums for many things, Aidan shared his thoughts on everything from B.C. arts cuts, touring, CBC Radio 3, Versicolour pre-orders to the incorrect label debacle for the translucent yellow vinyl.




While he has performed and recorded  with such notables as Hannah Georgas, David Vertesi and the Zolas, Aidan Knight's vocal maturity belies his age (mid-20s) and is stunning to hear in person.

If you believe that the first time is the charm, not the third, then you may have experienced We Are The City live. Cayne McKenzie (keys and vox), Andy Huculiak (drums, knobs and vox) and sort of new guy Blake Enemark (guitar maniac) left many jaws on the floor as they played a superbly energetic set, mixing songs from 2010's In A Quiet World and the forthcoming High School, available Mar. 22.

Stage banter is an art, and those who can pull it off get an extra gold star from us.  Cayne, the obvious raconteur of the group, described a recent stay-over at a house while on tour.  The hairy details he shared made us see, feel and squirm at the events as they happened.  Cats, allergies and squirrels do make an interesting topic.







Solid albums, solid performance, super guys.  If you have not seen them, you should.

That's It, That's All.

Photos: Russ Gordon