Show Review: Glory be to the personal voice

We were proud parents when our younger daughter recently won two gold keys for her artwork the first time she entered the Scholastic Art & Writing competition. While art is as subjective as music, her teacher said they were gold key-worthy because she expressed her "personal voice."

  Listening to Shotgun Jimmie and By Divine Right Feb. 9 at Windsor's Phog Lounge made us think of what that art teacher said. Personal voice. It's what separates nice from wow, good from great. Out of all the bands and singer-songwriters we see, the standouts are the ones with the ability to make a unique and personal connection between creator and listener.

Sackville, New Brunswick's Shotgun Jimmie expresses his personal voice with everyday scenes, experiences and observations framed by honesty, indie rock hooks and a foil-pan kick drum that doubles as a snare. (Minus the kick drum, the same could be said for his cheeky stage banter.) Whether backed by Attack in Black (Still Jimmie), as a nearly one-band man (on his new record coming out in March, Everything, everything - You've Changed Records) or solo on stage, with Jimmie it's personal.

 
It's been a rare occasion that we've seen a Canadian indie band that dates back to 1989, and have hits from the late 1990s. It may be even rarer for any band to perform songs from a new album coming out in May 2013 (Organized Accidents - Hand Drawn Dracula) that we like even more than the ones we already know. Especially to wafting incense, a glowing stage angel and a bass drum that asserts "Glory Be." All are a testament to the personal voice of Jose Miguel Contreras, the one constant in By Divine Right's cast of musicians that now include bassist Alysha Haugen and Geordie Dynes on drums. Contreras' art is a mixed media that dabbles in multiple genres and decades. The result is original, timeless and wonderful.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

the unquiet dead wsg Orphan Choir & The Locusts Have No King @THE LOOP

http://music.cbc.ca/artists/the-unquiet-dead
http://orphanchoir.bandcamp.com/
http://music.cbc.ca/artists/The-Locusts-Have-No-King

Zachary Lucky w/ Crissi Cochrane @ Phog Lounge Friday, Feb 15, 2013

Show Alert: It's going to be divine, right?

By Divine Right w/ Shotgun Jimmie 
and James O-L and the Villains
Sat., Feb. 9 ~ Phog Lounge, Windsor 

This is where we pinch ourselves to make sure we're not dreaming. Canadian indie legends By Divine Right? (Look for a new album from BDR in May 2013.) Shotgun Jimmie, on his way to becoming a legend? (Transistor Sister ranks as one of our favourite albums). And Windsor legends in the making James O-L and the Villains, all for only $10? We live a divine life, indeed. The early bird gets the ear worm in this case, because this one will be a sellout.

The Walkervilles cover "Valerie"

We're constantly impressed by the amount of Canadian indie musical talent we see in Windsor-- and from Windsor. And talented directors like Sean McLeod make it possible for you to see them too. Here's another video from McLeod of up-and-coming Windsor band The Walkervilles.



www.thewalkervilles.com
www.sean-mcleod.com

PHOTOS - Hannah Georgas @ Pike Room - Jan. 31, 2013

Hannah's voice and band are what make the beat stuff beat; it's not robotic and the dance floor was hopping under the red and blue lights of the Pike Room.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Alert: GuitarZAMM!

The Blue Stones and Little Foot Long Foot 
Sat., Feb. 2 
Phog Lounge ~ Windsor

The Blue Stones

Little Foot Long Foot

*This may be loud and dancey.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Alert: We gotta Hannah to you

Hannah Georgas
Thurs., Jan. 31
The Pike Room ~ The Crofoot, Pontiac
W/ Decades and Mountain Babies

In the States, you may only know Hannah as that voice in a 2009 Walmart commercial.

She wasn't a whole lot better known in Canada then, either.

"This girl named Hannah was supposed to open for Said The Whale when they released their album nationally at the Phog Lounge (in Windsor)," recalled co-owner Tom Lucier. "I was like, 'Who? Oh, okay if Said The Whale thinks so.' And then she opened with Said The Whale as her backing band and she tore the fucking roof off the place. It was easily one of my top five favourite shows of all time."

We saw Georgas when she returned to the Phog Lounge in 2010; it made our top shows that year. In 2011 she was nominated for two Juno Awards,“Best New Artist of the Year” and “Songwriter of the Year.” Still not convinced you should make the trip to Pontiac on Thursday? CBC Radio 3 listeners voted Georgas "Hottest Pipes" for "Robotic," from her new self-titled album.

Now you see them, now you don't: Our top shows for 2012

The title of this post became eerily prophetic when, one sentence away from completing it, a fateful ctrl-z erased every word. So here it is, plucked from the recesses of our memory. As we look forward to Hannah Georgas (a top show from 2010) at the Pike Room on Jan. 31, we look back on the best shows (in alphabetical order) we saw in 2012... and a few we didn't.

Now you see them...

Boxer The Horse: We saw a lot of great shows at NXNE; this PEI band's set was a standout, note-perfect and perfectly crafted.

Cadence Weapon: Canadian hip hop doesn't get any better than Cadence Weapon. With songs like "You Can't Stop The Machine," his Polaris short-listed album Hope in Dirt City should be Detroit's theme album. Too bad Detroit was lined up to see Flying Lotus, unfortunately booked the same night at Majestic.


















 catl.: They gave us the blues three times last year, and we loved it every time. We'll miss them while they rest, recreate and regroup.

Delhi 2 Dublin: "Where else are you going to see a kick-ass fiddle player rocking out with a kilt-wearing Korean flanked by two bouncing Bhangra percussionists and a vocalist who looks like he would be at home in a Bollywood music video?" Like Cadence Weapon, they deserved a much bigger audience than they got.

Duchess Says: The best show we almost didn't see. N2D has never seen S2W dance so much. Or drag a lead singer across the floor.

Dusted / The Walkervilles: Two very different bands, one evening of great music. Dusted's "Into the Atmosphere" was so beautiful it gave us goosebumps.

Gentleman Reg: Reg Vermue has been an essential part of CBC Radio 3 for us since we started listening, whether as a solo artist or a member/contributor to bands like The Hidden Cameras and The Constantines. A genuine gentleman, and a genuine talent.

















English Words / Molly Rankin / Crissi Cochrane: English words can't express how much we enjoyed this show. All people we love. The Words' Red Potion definitely has us under its spell.

Parlovr / Hooded Fang: The best less is more show. Everyone had gone up north for the 4th of July weekend, so we practically had the bands to ourselves. Loved the stripped-down Hooded Fang, with Daniel barefooted at the mic. And loved hearing Kook Soul live. One of 2012's most overlooked albums, in our opinion, even if it did make the Polaris long list.

MAZ: Best show by a band we'd never heard of before, at London's Home County Music & Art Festival. Celtic + jazz + banjo (Jayme Stone). Yes, please.

Royal Canoe: If we had to pick a #1 show of 2012, it would be Royal Canoe. Our show review pretty much says it all, but to sum up, they "beautifully straddle (or paddle, as the case may be), the line between adventurous music and music that is eminently satisfying to both the ear and the brain."

Now you don't...

Shows get canceled. Bands play the same night as other bands. Sometimes we just can't make it. These five shows were the ones we were most sorry to miss last year. Here's to second chances.

• METZ
• Hot Panda
• The Tom Fun Orchestra
• Ten Kens
• Al Tuck

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

The Besnard Lakes: "People Of The Sticks"

We have a new album coming out April 2 on Jagjaguwar.

It’s called Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO.

  


That about covers it.

http://www.thebesnardlakes.com/

Plant A Tree

Our friend Jon Janes, professionally known as The Mountains & The Trees, is working on a project: a live music video/EP session.

In Jon's words, "I want you to be involved!" He means it. For several donor levels that will help fund the project, he'll make you part of it. He reached most of his modest goal quickly. Maybe you'd like to be part of the remaining 20 percent. Because when you help an artist or musician, you're planting a tree that will grow into something unique, and beautiful, that will spread roots that anchor the spirit, and cast leaves to the wind of imagination. http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/analogsongssession#

Show review of The Mountains & The Trees with Treelines in Sarnia, Ont.

Show Review: King Khan and BBQ

Al Tuck's performance at Windsor's Phog Lounge last year was one of our favourites. So we were excited when we found out he was returning to Phog on Dec. 5. And had every intention of attending.

Until we learned that King Khan and BBQ were playing a Sailor Jerry-sponsored show the same night at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. We knew it was like choosing between a poetry reading given by an eccentric genius and going to a strip club. But we'd never seen King Khan (aka Blacksnake) and BBQ (aka Mark Sultan), who were closing out their reunion tour at the Pig. Journalistic duty won.

The wildest days of this alt-rock/punk/garage duo might be behind them, but we weren't disappointed. So what if they are a bit like two veteran pole dancers in predictably campy neo-Egyptian costumes and black eyeliner? We couldn't take our eyes off them: Sultan's hyperbolic facial expressions, Khan's bare nipple jiggling beneath the gold collar as he played the entire set on a Sailor Jerry-branded guitar with a broken string.















 We couldn't take our ears off radio-friendly (and safe) hits like "Invisible Girl" and "I'll Be Loving You" either. The packed floor of college students launched into the raunchier lyrics, sold hooker, line and fishing pole by Khan and Sultan's honest energy and middle finger attitude.

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHOG LOUNGE!

Wow! Another year old? Windsor's own (and Canada's Best Live Venue) is NINE YEARS OLD!

Congrats to Tom and Frank! Thank you for everything that you do.

The CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award Winners - 2012

Congratulations to the CLASS of 2012 - The CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award winners.

Hottest Pipes (Best Vocal Performance) - Hannah Georgas  "Robotic"

• We first saw Georgas more than two years ago. That she's back on the Bucky radar with her second (self-titled) album is proof there's no such thing as a sophomore curse.

Sexiest Artist - Jaycelyn Brown of Said The Whale
#socialbutterfly Social Media Award - Said the Whale
Most Watchable Song (Best Video) - Said The Whale  "We Are 1980"

• They might be 1980, but 2012 was a whale of a year for the Bucky awards. STW played both sides of the border in April, touring in support of their second full-length album, Little Mountain.

Rookie of the Year - The Elwins

•  We were pulling hard for Loon Choir, who are rookier than The Elwins (formed in 2007). But we remember liking The Elwins' set at NXNE 2011.

 Best Reason to Buy a Concert Ticket (Best Live Act) - Mother Mother

•  Mother Mother was the very first Canadian indie band one of us saw live (at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, touring with Sam Roberts). They opened with "Hayloft." Quite the intro.

In Memoriam: Most Impactful Break-up - Handsome Furs

• We're so glad we had the opportunity to see them perform in 2011. Thanks for the music, Alexei and Dan, and all the best.

Electronic Song of the Year - Grimes  "Oblivion"

• Shoot, pout pout pout pout, we were pulling for Shout Out Out Out Out.

 Best Reason to Learn French (Best Francophone Song)  - Bernard Adamus'  "Entre ici pis chez vous"

• Hey! Someone we voted for actually won! We love this guy.

 Lifetime Achievement - Nardwuar the Human Serviette

•  Well-deserved recognition for the original doot doola doot doo dynamo.

Golden Bucky (Song of the Year) - Joel Plaskett  "Lightning Bolt"

•  Although "Bolt" isn't our favourite Plaskett song, his performances at this year's Home County Music & Art Festival made us fans, through & through & through.

Fan of the Year - Christine McAvoy

• We can't think of anyone we'd rather pass our tiaras to than CMac. Welcome to the FOTY ranks! Love ya.

The N2DS2W Holiday Gift Guide

"I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that."

If you're feeling like Lucy Van Pelt, we're not here to open up a psychiatry booth. But we might be able to help in the gift suggestion department. Because A Charlie Brown Christmas wouldn't be the same without the music of Vince Guaraldi, here are some of our favourite ideas for Canadian indie-themed musical gifts and more. After all, when all else fails, give what you really want and if it loves you, it will come back. Or something like that.

1. Bait and switch. Upgrade your family and friends to Canadian indie. Is your dad into country? He'll love Corb Lund or Lindi Ortega. Does your brother like Nickelback (our condolences)? Give him Arkells. Grandpa has the blues? Turn him on to catl. Grandma's into music from the 40s? We recommend Jill Barber and Belle Plaine. How about some Elliott BROOD goodies? Folk, hip hop, electronic, world, pop, 13 Days of Christmas by some great PEI bands...there's a Canadian indie upgrade for every genre, and you don't have to stand in line outside the Apple store to get it.  (**Disclaimer: these suggestions are for representative purposes only; they're a mere fraction of all the bands we love.)

2. I made you a mixtape. Minimal budget? In the spirit of suggestion no. 1, make your loved ones a mixtape of free (and at least partly if not all Canadian indie) music. And then guilt them later into buying the album(s). Here's a few for starters:

• Zunior compilations
• Paste Magazine Holiday Sampler 2012 (28 songs!)
• Dine Alone Records Holiday Sampler

3. CBC Radio 3 merch. Also your chance to drop heavy hints that you'd love some R3 merch for yourself. And if your recipients aren't into Radio 3 quite as much as you, they might like some CBC Retro.

4. Good for one live show. Remember how much your mom loved those coupons you made for her when you were a kid? You know, "Good for one vacuuming." Make a grown-up version: "Good for one live show." We're not talking about $200 tickets to a megarena in the nosebleed section. We're talking about taking your SO or friend to your local small venue that supports Canadian indie artists. It will be remembered way longer than those fuzzy socks or box of Ferrero Rocher.

5. A Diamond is forever (or at least 12 months). Canadian indie bands catl. and The Pack a.d. have both recorded at legendary producer Jim Diamond's Ghetto Recorders. You can see more female talent from around the globe in the Girls of Ghetto Records 2013 calenders. $20 in the US and $30 outside of the US. Paypal to jmosrite@hotmail.com or send a check or money order to Ghetto Recorders, P. O. Box 2533, Detroit, MI 48202 USA.


N2D photographer Russ Gordon's photo of The Pack a.d. is  Ghetto Recorders' calendar image for December 2012.

"Look, Charlie, let's face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know." Or maybe Kenny Loggins...

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

CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards Day Is Friday, Dec. 7

It's Bucky Day once again and CBC Radio 3's 7th annual award show has a new look. The day begins at 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT with the first award - Sexiest Artist Of The Year - and culminates with The Golden Bucky Award for Song Of The Year at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT. A podcast version of the Buckys gala will be released immediately following. Tune in at http://music.cbc.ca/radio3/ or Sirius 152.

Last Day Of #Movember, Still Time For N2D's Russ Gordon

Is it really worth taking a month to raise awareness and money for the issue of men's health, specifically prostate cancer?

Yes. Yes it is. That's why our own writer/stuntman/photographer Russ Gordon has rejoined the prestigious CBC Radio 3 #Movember team.


Check out the Team CBC Radio 3 Movember gallery. (click on OPEN GALLERY) 

Thank you to everybody who donated to me AND the incredible Team CBC Radio 3!

Show Russ some love, ONE DOLLAR at a time! Donate HERE or to the team HERE.

Get checked. It's YOUR ass, don't just sit on it.

Last Day To Vote! CBC Radio 3 ~ 2012 Bucky Awards

Time is almost up to vote for the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards. Kick it up! All the best in Canadian indie music. All voted on by you, the listener. PLUS, Top Fan Of The Year and Lifetime Achievement.
Cast your vote! Short list voting will be open from Nov. 21 through Nov. 28. The 2012 Bucky Awards will be presented on Friday Dec. 7 on Grant Lawrence Live!.

VOTE HERE. VOTE NOW!

Drink the Kool-Aid

 Is this the end of D-Sisive?

CBC Music's Vish Khanna and D-Sisive himself answer that question better than we could. As fans, we hope D-Sisive finds his muse hard to resist. As (we hope it's not too presumptuous to say) friends, we wish Derek all the best, because he deserves it.

For now, D-Sisive and producer Muneshine have given us Jonestown 3: The Dream Is Over. And because free has been his friend, you can listen and download for free. And if you like it, return the favour by purchasing one of his other albums.




Track listing:

1. The Dream Is Over 02:26
2. All My Friends Are Dead 01:45
3. Tell Me Different [ft. Adam Bomb] 03:18
4. Banana Bread [ft. Knamelis] 03:32
5. WhenWeDieWeDieTogether 04:29
6. Pajama Pants 03:30
7. Friend Of Mine 03:23
8. Cincinnati Sunday 02:43
9. The Penny Tree [ft. The Antiheroes] 03:55
10. Not One Candle [ft. Muneshine] 02:54
11. Station 135 02:53
12. November 02:43
13. [un]Answered Prayers 03:01