April 28, 2012
So long…
Hey everyone who might happen to still visit. After six plus year of running b(oot)log, I find myself with less and less time to devote to writing here (and less time to go to shows). I keep thinking I might be able to post once in a while but, since it was Summer the last time I posted with any regularity, I think it is time to face facts and admit this blog has run its course.
It was a great deal of fun to write about all the great musicians who came to Kingston A huge thanks to the bands and to the local promoters who brought them to town – especially to Virginia at Flying V.
And I thank everyone who took the time to leave a comment and to the folks who have sent me music and other stuff to promote.
I’ve cancelled my hosting so all the links are now inactive but if there is something you would like please leave a comment or shoot me an email and I can send you the tracks you are looking for.
If you’ve enjoyed anything you’ve come across here, be sure to support the musicians by buying their albums and merch and by going out and seeing them live.
r.
November 1, 2011
The Gertrudes launch “Till The Morning Shows Her Face To Me” Tomorrow!
Kingston’s very own megagroup The Gertrudes are back with a brand-spanking new album called Till the Morning Shows Her Face to Me. Their latest LP is an evolution of their folksy sound – there is no radical departure here but certainly they continue to grow.
While they show their wonderful raucous side right out of the gate with the stomper “Derby Girl”, the sound on the album is predominantly quite gentle. This soothing, almost contemplative sound is found across the record, particularly with the standout tracks “Six Jars”, “Flashbulbs & Catcalls” (my favourite song on the record, at the moment) and the delicate “Lonely Days” which closes out the album. There are rocking moments, too, to be sure (with “Derby Girl”, for example, or the fantastic organ & banjo jam in the middle of “Good People”), and the soulful in “Carolina” & “Passage” which feature Amanda Balsys’ powerful vocals, but, compared with Dawn Time Riot, this is a more introspective record.
The Gertrudes’ staples of vocal harmonies, multiple guitar parts, banjo, accordion, horns are all present, and the prominent addition of strings enriches their already full sound – cello & violin are used to particularly good effect on “Summer Plans”. Built on top of the solid base provided by the group’s pair of percussionists, record’s excellent production allows layering sounds and textures without things every becoming muddy. The experimental, sci-fi sound seems to be less present on this record than in the past, but while used sparingly, it is used to great effect, adding a “je ne sais quoi” with ever feeling forced or gimmicky.
Check out “Six Jars” recorded by the amazing Southern Souls.
And stream the entire album at Exclaim.
“Till the Morning Shows Her Face to Me” is being launched at the Grad Club TOMORROW NIGHT. The Gertrudes are playing with Charlotte Cornfield and tickets are only $5 so get down there for what will undoubtedly be a great show and pick up this fantastic new album. Other upcoming dates are found below. See their website for full details.
The Grad Club, Kingston, Wednesday November 2nd, 8pm
The Carden Street Cafe, Guelph, Saturday November 12th, 10pm
The Drake Hotel in Toronto, Friday December 2nd, 8pm
The Elmdale Tavern, Ottawa, Friday Dec 9th, 9pm
Their albums are released by Apple Crisp Records & can be bought through Sonic Unyon.
August 3, 2011
The OOTS Family Band, Pop Montreal BBQ, Notman House, Montreal, 2 October 2010
Photo by Mint Records
I happened to be in Montreal this year when the extravaganza known as Pop Montreal was on. That meant I was able to attend a few wonderful things, including the Pop BBQ put on by Mint Records, Fuzzy Logic Records, Out of This Spark, and Do Right! Music. In addition to tasty food, there was all sorts of tasty musical treats.
My favourite was the Out of This Spark Family Band which featured members of The D’Urbervilles, Forest City Lovers, and Evening Hymns. Since these latter two bands will be hitting the Wolfe Island Music Fest stage THIS WEEKEND I thought it would be a great time to post this short but extremely fun set.
As you can see, they played only one FCL song and the covers that made up the rest of the set are delightfully all over the map. Enjoy & I’ll see you at WIMF this weekend.
The OOTS Family Band, Pop Montreal BBQ, Notman House, Montreal, 2 October 2010
1. Constellation
2. this is Jonas (talk)
3. I Won’t Back Down
4. Blackheart
5. trivia (talk)
6. Got My Mind Set On You
7. throw back to 1994 (talk)
8. Longview
Buy Forest City Lovers, Evening Hymns, & The D’Urbervilles records from Out of This Spark (via Gallery AC)
August 2, 2011
Wolfe Island Music Festival, 5-6 August 2011!
Holy Smokes! August is here which means WIMF2011 is only a few days away! And I haven’t said a single thing about it. It is a good thing that I am probably not where you get your info about these sorts of things, otherwise you would be right to scold me. But you probably know all about it all ready so what I am about to say is not going to be news to you.
However, just in case you need to know if this year’s Wolfe Island Music Fest has my seal of approval, rest assured & get your tickets, because it most certainly does. The two day festival once again is chock-a-block full of b(oot)log favs including, but not limited to, Plants & Animals, Jenn Grant, Great Lake Swimmers, and Forest City Lovers. The weather is going to be great (as will The Weather Station, undoubtedly), the Beau’s will be flowing, and the line-up is filled with amazing bands:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
The Town Hall Concert
Great Lake Swimmers
The Weather Station
8:30 pm
The General Wolfe Hotel
Rich Aucoin
Cherry Chapstick
10:30 pm
The Island Grill
Paul Langlois
Greg Ball
Sleuth Bears
Bader Lane Quartet
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
Stars 10:00-11:00 pm
BUCK 65 Extra Special Mystery Guest 9:00-9:45 pm
plants and animals 8:00-8:45 pm
P.S. I love you 7:00-7:45 pm
Jenn Grant 6:00-6:45 pm
The Wooden Sky 5:00-5:45 pm
Forest City Lovers 4:00-4:45 pm
Jennifer Castle 3:00-3:45 pm
Evening Hymns 2:00-2:45 pm
Wilderling 1:00-1:45 pm
Gates open at noon.
And!!! Kicking things off on the Mainland a FREE SHOW!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4th,
Toucan Pub
By Divine Right 10pm
Are you all excited? You should be.
Tune back in tomorrow when I will have a special post to get you (even more) stoked for the weekend.
June 13, 2011
Shows! Skeleton Park Music Festival 2011!
As the summer solstice approaches, one of the most unique cultural events in Kingston is close at hand. This year’s Skeleton Park Music Festival, running from June 16-18, once again has an eclectic and really wonderful line up.
Performers on Saturday include Julie Doiron, Charlotte Cornfield, Steve McKay, and One Hundred Dollars among many others. The evening before you have Sheezer & The Gertrudes and more will rocking out with the Kingston Derby Girls.
Here is the lineup but check out the Festival site for full details. Get out and see so great live music – most events are free, so you have absolutely nothing to lose.
Thursday, June 16, 8pm @ The Sleepless Goat Cafe FREE!
DRUMHAND
Friday June 17, 5:30pm @ The Kingston Memorial Centre
In partnership w/ The Kingston Derby Girls (ticketed event)
Slick Whippet
Sheezer
The Gertrudes
Rueben deGroot
Saturday, June 18th, 10am, All Day + FREE! @McBurney Park
Washboard Hank – 10:00am
Children’s Crafts – 10:00am
11 A.M. (The Band) – 11:00am
Slaves of Spanky – 11:30am
Open Voices Choir – 12pm
The Glass Chain – 1pm
Sleuth Bears – 1:30pm
Charlotte Cornfield – 2:00pm
Yuka – 2:30pm
Children’s Games @ 2:30pm
Tug of War @ 3:30pm + Children’s Parade!
One Hundred Dollars – 4pm
Julie Doiron – 5pm
New Country Rehab – 6pm
Steve McKay – 7pm
The Soul Jazz Orchestra – 7:30pm
Saturday, June 18th, 10pm @ The Sleepless Goat
People Project
Sheesham & Lotus
May 26, 2011
Shows! Home Grown Live – May 28th
For the third year running, the ambitious Home Grown Live will be taking place all across downtown Kingston. This year’s edition, happening Saturday, May 28th, will feature sets of local musicians grouped by genre (folk, jazz, indie, blues etc) at 11 venues. The cost is only $10 to get access to all the venues – only $5 with a Foodbank donation – and all the proceeds go to the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library.
The best bet for readers of this here blog is going to be the Apple Crisp Showcase taking place at the Gradclub. It will feature b(oot)log friends The Gertrudes on at 9 and Reuben deGroot who takes the stage at 10.
For the full listing of all the events taking place check out the Home Grown Live website. Get out there, support great local charities and see some amazing local talent live.
Here are The Gertrudes performing a special Earth Hour concert from this past May filmed by Wood&Wires.
May 21, 2011
The Provincial Archive, The Mansion, Kingston, 10 August 2010
The Provincial Archive playing The Provincial Archives of Manitoba, 14 May 2011 (photo by Robert Szkolnick)
Hello my friends,
It has been much too long. I haven’t forgotten about you but I have had less time to devote to b(oot)log. I imagine things will pick up as Wolfe Island Music Fest is fast approaching — get your earlybird tickets now!.
Before we get to talking about that, I thought I’d shake off the cobwebs by talking about a band who is playing The Mansion TONIGHT (May 21st) – The Provincial Archive.
This Edmonton band plays carefully crafted songs that are filled with literate lyrics. There is a indie folk sound to their music but they enrich it with electronic textures and careful use of keyboards, harmonium, banjo, sleigh bells etc which create a perfect atmosphere to accompany the intimate lyrics. They gently pace their songs, drawing you in with the words that feel like they are being softly spoken to you and then, at the right moment, the music rises, punctuating the sentiment.
The band is in the middle of their wonderfully appropriate “The Provincial Archive in The Provincial Archives” tour which is going across Canada and back. Be sure to catch them if they come to your town – particularly if they are visiting your local archives. Full dates/details can be found on their site.
May 21 | Kingston, ON | The Mansion
May 23 | Montreal, QC | Casa Del Popolo (w/ Charlotte Cornfield)
May 24 | Quebec City, QC | TBA
May 25 | Fredericton, NB | The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
May 26 | Saint John, NB | The Sunstar Lounge More
May 27 | Moncton, NB | Plan B Lounge
May 28 | Halifax, NS | Nova Scotia Archives
May 30 | St. John’s, NL | The Rooms Provincial Archives
May 31 | Charlottetown, PEI | Baba’s Lounge More
June 1 | Qubec, QC | L’agitée
June 2 | Ottawa, ON | Zaphod Beeblebrox
June 3 | Wakefield, ON | Kaffe 1870
June 4 | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | Loplop Lounge & Gallery
June 5 | Thunder Bay, ON | Crocks
June 6 | Winnipeg, MB | The Lo Pub
June 7 | Regina, SK | Saskatchewan Archives Board (Private Performance)
June 7 | Regina, SK | The Exchange, Presented by The Saskatchewan Archives Board
June 9 | Calgary, AB | Broken City
June 10 | Kelowna, BC | TBA
June 11 | Vancouver, BC | Railway Club
June 12 | Victoria, BC | The British Columbia Archives
They played a lovely (if sparsely attended) show at The Mansion last summer. Despite facing a series of unfortunate events leading up to their show, they played a tight set drawing from their two LPs. Here’s my recording of it. Enjoy & be sure to get out there and see them live for yourself.
The Provincial Archive, The Mansion, Kingston, 10 August 2010
1. a real sad story (talk)
2. Art Museums and Tourist Traps
3. Wait and Sea
4. Acquaintances And Lovers
5. stolen passport (talk)
6. Draw an Outline
7. Stammered Words
8. switchspots (talk)
9. I’m a Believer!
10. bear arms (talk)
11. On The Literate
12. one hundred copies (talk)
13. Trading Thrills
Pick up their two great albums from the band or digitally from Zunior.
February 23, 2011
The Luyas – Too Beautiful to Work (w/ full SSUC set)
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photo by SarahBrideau.com from 2008 (in Montreal?)
It is a good time to exist my friends, because The Luyas‘ stunning new record “Too Beautiful to Work” was released yesterday and our ears are filled with wonderful sounds. Mysterious, haunting, beautiful sounds unlike anything else you are likely to encounter.
You should go, now, to Idée Fixe Records where you can stream the full album, download two tracks and where you can, nay must!, buy it.
There is a dreamy quality that coats the album. Jessie Stein’s unique voice reaches out plaintively as the music swirls and builds, until things become urgent – like at the 1:41 mark of “Worth Mentioning” where bells ring and penetrating drumming kick in propelling the vocals along. The shifts in the record – from lush to chaotic – make for some extremely memorable moments. The listener is kept off balance and alert, waiting for the next shift or surprise. And there are so many wonderful surprises here. Strange sounds permeate the record – is it effects-laden frenchhorn? the mythical moodswinger? strings or keyboards or horns or something else entirely? The listener is frequently left guessing. Lyrics are repeated, the words gaining meaning each time they are said, each time a new layer of sound is placed behind or over them.
The records is precisely crafted. With so many intricate pieces fitting together, with so many places where the seams could split apart, all the sounds are marshaled together without things feeling constrained. This delicate balance that is achieved on TBTW, between the chaotic and the restrained, makes the record so special.
Back in 2007 I said that The Luyas “are jubilant and terrified, strange and wonderful.” I think this is as applicable to TBTW as it was to “Faker Death“, perhaps, though, more jubilant than terrified but still strangely wondrous and wonderfully strange. They are more confident and commanding without losing their sense of awe or their willingness to joyfully explore dark corners.
The Luyas are embarking on a tour. You should go see them if they wander into your neighbourhood. They are playing many places Canada & the United States & Europe. They aren’t playing Kingston again, at the moment, but perhaps they will stop by soon. Here are some of their upcoming dates. See their site for full listings.
02/24 Montreal, QC- La Sala Rossa02/26 Quebec City, QC- Le Cercle03/04 Charlottesville, VA- Jefferson Theatre w/ Ra Ra Riot03/06 Jacksonville, FL- Jack Rabbits w/ Ra Ra Riot03/07 Ft. Lauderdale, FL- Culture Room w/ Ra Ra Riot03/08 Orlando, FL- The Social w/ Ra Ra Riot03/09 Tampa, FL- Crowbar w/ Ra Ra Riot03/11 New Orleans, LA- One Eyed Jacks w/ Ra Ra Riot, Givers03/12 Baton Rouge, LA- Spanish Moon w/ Ra Ra Riot03/14- 03/20- Austin, TX- South By Southwest
Buy the records from Idée Fixe (Canada) and Dead Oceans (elsewhere).
For Pop Montreal, The Luyas created an installation/performance space/event called “Everything is Outta Sight”. They made an enchanted forest from paper and lights. The evening was filmed and it can now be viewed here:
A year ago I saw The Luyas perform – they were haunting a stunning church. I have put some of the tracks online previously, but here is the full set. Enjoy.
The Luyas, Sydenham St. United Church, Kingston 2 February 2010
1. Cold Canada
2. makes you blind (talk)
3. Tiny Head
4. Dumb Blood
5. alright? (talk)
6. Seeing Things
7. Canary
8. Moodslayer
9. Pietro walks (talk)
10. I Need Mirrors
11. kind ladies and sirs (talk)
12. Worth Mentioning
February 12, 2011
Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans, Wolfe Island Music Fest, 7 August 2010
Jim Bryson and his friends The Weakerthans are coming to town tonight. However, if you don’t have your ticket already you are out of luck ’cause the show is sold out.
If you are like me and don’t have a ticket you are probably going to miss a great show. Maybe you were lucky enough to see them play at the Wolfe Island Music Fest this summer. If so, they you know that Bryson sings down to earth tunes with a rich, unassuming voice. They are melancholic and wistful but he is not defeated. Bryson picks himself up and continues on, no matter what life throws at him.
After Kingston, Bryson & The Weakerthans are heading out west. Go see them if you have the chance. Check out his website for full details.
Feb 12th, The Grad Club Kingston, ON (sold out)
Feb 25th, The Royal Nelson, BC
Feb 26th,The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver
Feb 27th, Sugar Nightclub, Victoria
March 1st, Myer Horowitz Theatre, Edmonton
March 2nd, Communitea Café, Canmore
March 3rd, The Gateway Bar – SAIT Campus, Calgary
March 4th, Amigos Cantina, Saskatoon
March 5th, West End Cultural Center, Winnipeg
March 6th, Falcon Trails Resort, Falcon Lake, MB
Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans, Wolfe Island Music Fest, 7 August 2010
* Sleeping in Toronto
* Freeways in the Frontyard (feat. Jill Barber)
* Constellation
Get yourself the great Falcon Lake Incident & other stuff here.
February 11, 2011
Shows! Off the International Radar @ The Mansion Feb 12th
Hey,
Did you miss your chance to get tickets to the now sold out Jim Bryson/Weakerthans show on Saturday? (more on that show later) Well, never fear because your Saturday night can still be filled with awesome live music.
The fantastic Off the International Radar are playing with Mausoleum at The Mansion. There will be also be Special Intimate Solo Acoustic Sets from Shotgun Jimmie, Jay Baird & Megan Hamilton. Doors are at 8, sliding scale admission ($8-$10). See the FB event page for more details.
This is a CFRC Funding Drive event. Show your support for campus & community radio and donate today. It is the last weekend for the funding drive and they need your support to meet their goal.
Check out OTIR’s video for “A Cold Mirror”
And Holy Radar (Collaboration with Holy Fuck)
Buy the OTIR/HF split from HDD.
B(oot)log 