September 17, 2010
HELP! PS I Love You’s Guitars Stolen in Toronto
Hey Toronto Folks,
Kingston’s PS I Love You have hit some major trouble on the eve of embarking on a major tour. Two custom Fender Telecasters were stolen last night. If you are in the area please keep a look out for the following (details and pics here):
1. – ca. early 1990’s japanese “foto flame” fender telecaster. the neck pickup has a dent near the low e-string and it is internally damaged (the heavier strings don’t come through as loudly as the high strings.. the magnet inside is cracked.) the bridge pickup is a seymour duncan 1954 tele pickup. it is getting rusty and starting to go microphonic. the bridge itself is very rusted. it has a rosewood fret board. the body is a “foto-flame” orange burst. “foto flame” was fender’s fake flamed maple finishes. it says “foto flame” on the back of the headstock. it’s bright and flashy looking but well worn. there are a lot of dings and little gouges in the wood and the finish. just above the bottom strap-pin a part of the body has been glue back on… you can see the lines of where it broke and was repaired. the panel with the volume/tone knobs and pickup switch is reversed so that the volume knob is closest to the bridge. this is a unique modification that no telecasters come with. i did it myself. internally, some capacitors that limit high output have been removed. again, this is a unique modification to this guitar. this guitar was the most important thing in my life.
2. – ca. late 90’s mexican made nashville telecaster. it has three pickups and a 5-way selector switch (like a stratocaster). it has a maple fret board and the colour of the body is a brown sunburst. the panel with the volume/tone knobs and pickup switch is reversed so that the volume knob is closest to the bridge. this is a unique modification that no telecasters come with. i did it myself. internally, some capacitors that limit high output have been removed. again, this is a unique modification to this guitar.
Please send Paul a message if you have any info on the whereabouts of these instruments.
PS I Love You tour dates – go see ’em & buy their record:
9/19 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar #
9/20 Santa Barbara, CA – Jensen’s #
9/21 Santa Cruz, CA – Crepe Place #
9/23 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge #
9/24 Boise, ID – Neurolux #
9/28 Nelson, BC – Hume Hotel #^
9/30 Banff, AB – Wild Bills #^
10/1 Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room#^
10/2 Regina, SK – Distrikt #^
10/3 Winnipeg, MB – Pyramid #
10/4 Saskatoon, SK – Louis’ Pub #^
10/6 Calgary, AB – Republik #^
10/8 Victoria, BC – Logan’s Pub #%
10/9 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre #%
10/10 Seattle, WA – The Highdive
10/11 Portland, OR – The Rotture
10/12 San Fran, CA – The Hemlock
10/13 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
10/14 Los Angeles, CA – The Mint
10/17 Denver, CO – The Hi-Dive
10/20 New York, NY – CMJ
10/21 New York, NY – CMJ
10/22 New York, NY – CMJ
10/26 Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
10/27 London, ON – Alex P Keaton *
10/28 Hamilton, ON – This Ain’t Hollywood *
10/29 Ottawa, ON – Raw Sugar Cafe *
10/30 Kingston, ON – Mansion *
10/31 Montreal, QC – Playhouse
12/12 Guelph, ON – Ebar
* with Diamond Rings
# with Japandroids
^ with Frog Eyes
% with Ladyhawk
Shows! Forest City Lovers at the Grad Club -18 Sept (and repost of a 2007 set)
In the three years since I last saw them, Forest City Lovers have put out two outstanding albums – including the amazing Carriage this summer – and grown in confidence, charm, and loveliness. It is hard to imagine them being any more charming or lovely than they were on the cold January day in 2007 but it is true.
Since its release, I have listened to Carriage on repeat for hours at a time. It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite records from this year. A few of the songs were familiar (from the 7″ & from Friends in Bellwoods 2) but they have been rerecorded for the album and, with their added textures and flourishes, have become new again. It is so wonderfully easy to get lost in Kat Burns’ voice.
Throughout the album the rich vocals are supported by warm strings and precise percussion, and are accented by wonderful organ/synth lines, perfectly timed glockenspiel, horn, and other touches which makes for an extremely rewarding listening experience. On Carriage, the Lovers are equally assured with the slow and introspective as with the bouncy pop – their dark moments give way to the joyful, often with a wry smile. Throughout the record they masterfully control the tempo and tone taking listeners on a marvelous journey – one which you will want to take over and over again.
The band is on tour and will be hitting the Raw Sugar Cafe in Ottawa TONIGHT and the Grad Club in Kingston TOMORROW NIGHT. There are still tickets available for the Kingston show and I strongly recommend you check them out. Tour dates below (and be sure to check their site for full listings)
17/09/10 Ottawa, Raw Sugar Cafe
18/09/10 Kingston, The Grad Club
22/09/10 Guelph, Ebar
23/09/10 St. Catharines, The Mansion House
24/09/10 London, Alex P. Keaton (w/Bruce Peninsula)
25/09/10 Waterloo, Grist Mill
21/10/10 Halifax, The Foggy Goggle
21/10/10 Halifax, CKDU
05/11/10 Toronto, The Horseshoe Tavern
10/11/10 Rochester, The Bugjar
12/11/10 Brooklyn, Union Hal
13/11/10 Binghamton/Vestal, The Undergrounds
Here is a set I recorded over 3 years ago (originally posted here) but which still sounds as great now as it did then.
Forest City Lovers, The Artel, Kingston, 26 January 2007
1. Doorsteps
2. Oh Humility
3. we like playing small, intimate shows (talk)
4. In Flight
5. my brother’s in the audience (talk)
6. Song For Morrie
7. he knows how a tambourine works (talk)
8. Don’t Go, Please
9. Waiting by the Fence
10. interesting Kingston stories (talk)
11. Ocean (title?) [update: i was way off – the title is “Country Road”]
12. Randy’s hair (talk)
13. Monsters
14. play your bass (talk)
15. Castles
16. say “oobie doobie” a bunch of times (talk)
17. Scared of Time
18. one more (talk)
19. take it slow (title?) [update – the title is “At the Border”]
Buy Carriage from GalleryAC & previous records & buttons & shirts here.
September 15, 2010
Winter Gloves, Wolfe Island Music Fest, 8 August 2009
School is back in session in Kingston which means there will be a lot of great concerts coming up at the Grad Club. The year is starting off with a bang as Montreal’s Winter Gloves take the stage this Friday night.
Winter Gloves has made quite a name for themselves by producing insanely catchy, syth-heavy pop. Their new record, All Red, picks up where they left off from About A Girl, with a solid set of punchy, electropop songs. They are filled with grooves that will have you bobbing your head and tapping your feet and hooks that will stick with you for days. Check out the lead single:
They are on tour promoting their album – headlining shows in Ontario and in Montreal and with Born Ruffians in the states. Check ’em out if they come to your town (full dates at their myspace/PBR site).
Sep 17 – Kingston, ON – The Grad ClubSep 22 – Peterborough, ON – Red DogSep 23 – Ottawa, ON – MavericksSep 25 – Montreal, QC – Il MotoreWith Born Ruffians:Sep 28 – Rochester, NY – Bug Jar
Sep 29 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs
Sep 30 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse
Oct 01 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Oct 02 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Oct 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
Oct 05 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
Oct 06 – Charlottesville, VA – Random Row Books
Oct 07 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
Oct 08 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
Oct 09 – Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
Oct 10 – Orlando, FL – Backbooth
Oct 11 – Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder
Here are a few tracks from Winter Gloves’ set at the 2009 Wolfe Island Music Fest. Enjoy.
Winter Gloves, Wolfe Island Music Fest, 8 August 2009
*Factories
*Let Me Drive
*Party People
*Invisible
Buy “All Red” etc at PaperBag.
February 24, 2010
The Gertrudes & PS I Love You – “Sailor”
Great things are afoot in Kingston, my friends. Take, for example, the news that The Gertrudes, PS I Love You, Bruce Peninsula, and Muskox have teamed up for a split 7″ record. BP and Muskox are tagteaming a new version of “Shanty Song” and the two Apple Crisp bands have joined forces for the epic, gorgeous, haunting “Sailor.”
There is a great deal going on in this song but the perfect mix ensures that none of the carefully orchestrated pieces are lost. The Gertrudes’ stunningly beautiful vocals, flourishes of mandolin and strings, perfectly timed brass punctuating the half-way mark, and the “je ne se quois” of the theremin all combine organically with PS I Love You’s shredding. The ballad explodes in the last minute and a half into a swirling, passionate conclusion.
Hear it for yourself here:
* The Gertrudes & PS I Love You – Sailor
You will be able to buy the record at the Apple Crisp Music Fest which is happening at venues around Kingston from March 12th-25th. The Gertrudes will be performing with Charles Spearin’s Happiness Project on March 13th at Chalmers United Church. Like most of the shows, it is All Ages and Free. Details of ACMF2010 will be announced at the end of the week and I shall fill you in on all the great events coming your way.
For those not in town, you can get The Gertrudes’ eps from Zunior.
While I have your attention, have you ordered the new 7″ from the legendary PS I Love You? Seriously, they are blowing up P4K. It is released on March 15th. You can preorder it from Thing Itself Records.
December 22, 2009
Salvation Army Winter Relief Benefit TONIGHT at The Mansion
Hey everyone. I’m just popping in here to remind you that the Annual Salvation Army Winter Relief Benefit show is happening tonight at The Mansion.
Luther Wright says:
This time we are at the Mansion in Kingston for 2 shows in one night featuring Sarah Harmer, P.S. I Love You, Sheesham Crowe, Luther Wright, Chris Brown, Kelly & Ball xmas xplosion, Paul Langois of the Tragically Hip and Awna Teixeira of po girl. Tickets are limited and available at the club or Zap Records in Kingston. First show is 7:30 and is all ages and the 2nd show is at 11 and is 19 plus.
Got that? Two shows – but I hear that they are going to be more-or-less the same sets. Get out, support a great charity & see Weeping Tile.
Can’t go? Give to the Salvation Army – they do exceptionally good work and you should support them.
Here are some highlights from the Weeping Tile sets from the 2004 and 2006 shows. Enjoy & happy holidays.
* Good Fortune [2004]
* Hey Ya! [2004]
* Cold Snap [2006]
* Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) [2006]
Buy the fantastic Weeping Tile records.
July 23, 2009
$100, Grad Club, Kingston, 27 March 2009
photo taken in Peterborough in December 2008 by MissGillian.
There is just a shade over two weeks until this year’s Wolfe Island Music Fest. The line up (found here with set times) is pretty sweet and getting sweeter with the addition of Winter Gloves and the band I want to talk about today, $100.
This Toronto band made quite an impression with the release of the powerful Forest of Tears. As amazing as their recorded output is (and it is fantastic – I wouldn’t have been surprised if it made the Polaris Shortlist… if the short list hadn’t been kinda odd and..um..safe) the band really shines onstage. I’ve seen them twice now – as a full band as part of Fucked Up’s Halloween series of shows last year in Toronto and this show at the Grad Club where they performed as a three-piece – and both times I was astounded by the passion and emotion being conveyed.
This is gritty, raw stuff. Over a very traditional country sound, delivered by a group of astounding musicians, vocalist Simone Schmidt conveys tales of the marginalized, the powerless, and the dejected with a voice that swings easily from world-weary and vulnerable to defiant and powerful. As beautiful as it is heartrending, this is a voice that has been through it all but as survived.
They have a ton of dates coming up – including WIMF on August 8th and then they are back with Carolyn Mark at The Mansion on the 17th. Be sure to check them out if you can. Full details on their myspace.
23 Jul 2009 Bruar Falls, Brooklyn, NY
25 Jul 2009 Bovina Hangtender, Bovina, NY
27 Jul 2009 Plan B, Moncton
28 Jul 2009 Capital w/ BA JOHNSTON, Fredericton
29 Jul 2009 Ampersand Cafe with BA Johsnton, All AGES! Charlottetown
29 Jul 2009 Alibi w/ Barnkats, New Royalty, BA Johnston, Charlottetown
30 Jul 2009 Gus Pub, Halifax
1 Aug 2009 SappyFEST, Sackville
8 Aug 2009 Wolfe Island Music Festival, Kingstonish
15 Aug 2009 Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic, Aylmer
And, As Duet with Carolyn Mark & Sunbear
17 Aug 2009 The Living Room, Kingston
18 Aug 2009 Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
19 Aug 2009 Horseshoe Tavernk, Toronto
20 Aug 2009 the Starlight, Waterloo
21 Aug 2009 Oshawa
22 Aug 2009 The Casbah, Hamilton
23 Aug 2009 Van Gogh’s Ear, Guelph
and here are a few live tracks for your listening pleasure.
$100, Grad Club, Kingston, 27 March 2009
* No Great Leap
* 14th Floor
* Careless Love
Buy Forest of Tears from Zunior & be sure to get the first of the Regional 7″ from Blocks/The Blue House and get your tickets for WIMF here.
July 9, 2009
Wolfe Island Music Fest 2009!
The best music festival of the summer is just around the corner and I’ve been very negligent and haven’t said boo about it…until now. The Wolfe Island Music Fest is August 8th and 9th in the lovely Marysville, Wolfe Island (just a quick ferry ride away from Kingston) and this year it is featuring a slew of amazing bands in four events. Below you will finds the full list of performers.
Some of my favourite bands are playing – I’ve seen the majority of the acts on the lineup before so I can say from personal knowledge that this is going to be a fantastic two days of music. Of the bands that I haven’t seen before, I am really looking forward to finally seeing Woodhands live and am completely amazed that LA’s Busdriver will be playing.
I shall be posting about as many of the bands as I can in the next month.
Tickets are available online at TicketScene and in person at Destinations/ Brian’s Record Option/ The Grad Club/ Windmills.
Check out the Facebook page and the WIMF site for more details.
[edited to include set time and more acts (from the Flying V myspace)]
FRIDAY AUG 7TH
————————————————-
Town Hall Concert – 8:30pm
SARAH HARMER
ROCKY ROBERTS
BAHAMAS
Flying V Productions show at The General Wolfe Hotel – 10:30 pm
WOODHANDS
P.S. I LOVE YOU
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper show at The Island Grill – 5:00 pm
BIDINIBAND & The BILLIE HOLLIES (DAVE BIDINI)
SHADE
THE GERTRUDES
HARBOUR SHARKS
SATURDAY AUG 8TH
—————————————————-
HOLY FUCK @ 10:00
BUSDRIVER @ 9:00
THE D’URBERVILLES @ 8:00
OHBIJOU @ 7:00
THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE @ 6:00
WINTER GLOVES @ 5:00
ATTACK IN BLACK @ 4:00
$100 @ 3:00
JULIE FADER @ 2:00
CHERRY CHAPSTICK @ 1:15
EL SKIBO @ 12:30
SATURDAY – GATES OPEN at NOON located at the Marysville baseball diamond
(concerts begin at 12:30 pm) tickets avail at http://www.ticketscene.ca
June 18, 2009
Bruce Peninsula, Apple Crisp Music Festival, Next Church, Kingston, 20 March 2009
photo taken on May 1, 2009, at the Albion Hotel, Guelph by sidrguelph.
It is approaching the summer solstice in Kingston, which means that before we begin the long march back into darkness, we celebrate with the Skeleton Park Music Festival. Things are already underway, they were kicked off on Wednesday, in fact, and continue tomorrow night with an Into the Magic Soundbox event and with the main festivities taking place on Saturday. Of all the great acts who are going to perform during this free morning-to-dusk event, I am most looking forward to seeing Bruce Peninsula live again.
Bruce Peninsula will undoubtedly being riding into town with spirits high: they are about to start their Western Canada tour in Kingston (as logical a place as any) and have just been long-listed for the 2009 Polaris Prize for their stunning LP A Mountain is a Mouth. While the $20000 cheque isn’t made out in their name quite yet, I would not be at all surprised if they continue into the final round.
Bruce Peninsula make music that is born out of bogs and fields, oceans and mountains. They invoke ancient places in songs that sound like traditional spirituals but express modern, worldly concerns. They do amazing things with their many voices. There are stand out individual sounds, the growl of Neil Haverty and power and rich vocals of Mischa Bower, which are two identifiable voices, but it is their collective voice which is so memorable. Layers of vocals are presented, softly, sweetly. They build upon each other, merging only to break apart in ecstatic howls. Abusive percussion drives it all, with bells and chimes, claps and guitars being propelled along. Melody and harmony exist cheek by jowl with stomps and shouts. It is raw, emotional, effecting. The sound is old – spirituals are not exactly burning up the top-forty charts – but these sounds, and their delivery by the hydra-headed group, are nevertheless fresh and invigorating.
As mentioned, the band is about to hit the road out west and some of you lucky folks are going to see them with the amazing Rock Plaza Central and others are going to be graced by Jon-Rae Fletcher, in addition to BP, both of whom have received the b(oot)log seal of approval. You would be silly not to go out and see them live. So go! Full dates at BP’s site/space.
20 Jun 2009 – Skeleton Park, Kingston
28 Jun 2009 – Bruce Trail @ Poor Pilgrim Island Treasure Hunt, Toronto
7 Jul 2009 – Pyramid Cabaret w/ RPC, Winnipeg
8 Jul 2009 – Walker’s Nightclub w/ RPC, Saskatoon
9 Jul 2009 – Brixx Bar w/ RPC, Edmonton
10 Jul 2009 – Dicken’s Pub w/ RPC, Calgary
11 Jul 2009 – Canmore Hotel w/ RPC, Canmore
13 Jul 2009 – Biltmore Cabaret w/ Jon-Rae, Vancouver
14 Jul 2009 – Logan’s w/ Jon-Rae , Victoria
15 Jul 2009 – Habitat w/ Jon-Rae, Kelowna
17 Jul 2009 – O’Hanlan’s, Regina
To get a bit of a sense of the awesomeness of BP live, I offer you their stunning set from the Apple Crisp Music Fest in March. Come out to Skeleton Park this Saturday. Don’t worry about the rain – you’re not sugar, you won’t melt. But you will enjoy the music.
Bruce Peninsula, Apple Crisp Music Festival, Next Church, Kingston, 20 March 2009
1. Inside / Outside
2. Steamroller
3. drank out of a pickle jar (talk)
4. Shanty Song
5. just don’t buy steve’s cd (talk)
6. Shutters
7. Seven inch (talk)
8. Lift ‘Em Up
9. small confession (talk)
10. 2nd 4th World War
11. singalong (talk)
12. Weave Myself a Dress
13. Crabapples
14. do it all over again (talk)
15. The Chain (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Be sure to buy AMiaM and the fabulous 7″ (where you can find ‘Lift ‘Em Up’) from Zunior.
June 9, 2009
…and we’re back (with info about SPMF)
After a longer than expected hiatus, b(oot)log is back up and running. So go on and download away.
I have nothing new for you except to say that Kingston & area residents should go to The Mansion tonight for the Velvet Underground tribute night where all songs off of “Loaded” will be played by local artists.
See the AppleCrisp site for more details. All proceeds will be going to the Skeleton Park Music Festival, running June 17-19. And speaking of which, the line up has finally been announced. Here’s the poster
May 25, 2009
Apostle of Hustle, Grad Club, Kingston, 19 September 2008
Hello Pretties. I’ve been ignoring you, I know, but life sometimes gets in the way and ye olde b(oot)log gets put on the back burner. But it’s quality, not quantity, right? And I think I have something of rather great quality for you today.
Last Tuesday b(oot)log fav’s Apostle of Hustle released their new record, Eats Darkness, and they are stopping by on wednesday at the home of the most glorious patio for beer drinking in the whole of kingston, The Grad Club, on Wednesday. I’ll be there and I think you should come on by, too, ’cause its gonna be a hothothot show.
From my few listens of the album (stream the album on the AoH myspace), Eats Darkness is a bit of a departure in sound for Whiteman & co. I must admit to being kinda thrown by the interludes that pop up throughout the album, with bits of spoken word that have been manipulated (yes, I do believe that is William S. Burroughs you hear in “Nobody Bought It”) but the songs hold up. Not as expansive as in previous outings, perhaps, and a little lighter on the cubano, which I love so very much, but with amazing moments nevertheless, ‘Eazy Speaks,’ ‘Perfect Fit’, and ‘Blackberry’ all sitting comfortably among the best of AoH’s earlier material.
Apostle of Hustle are finishing their Canadian jaunt celebrating the release of their record. Remaining tour dates in Canada below & then they are off to the US (check out their site/space for more details):
5/27/09 – Kingston, ON @ The Grad Club
5/29/09 – Toronto, ON @ The Music Gallery
5/30/09 – Waterloo, ON @ Starlight Room
Also, AoH will be a part of the amazing, wonderful, spectacularly awesome Wolfe Island Music Fest (August 8). Woot! To get you all ready, here’s my recording of their last visit to the Grad Club where AoH busted out a bunch of tunes of the record which they just finished recording as well as a heap other, older, tunes. Enjoy & see you on Wednesday.
Apostle of Hustle, Grad Club, Kingston, 19 September 2008
1. Xerses
2. new songs (talk)
3. National Anthem of Nowhere
4. Perfect Fit
5. recorded music pretty much should be free (talk)
6. Blackberry
7. professional screamer (talk)
8. Song For Lorca
9. Chances Are
10. My Sword Hand’s Anger
11. Stephen Harper’s hair (talk)
12. How to Defeat a More Powerful Enemy
13. Folkloric Feel
14. homage to a great poet (talk)
15. Eazy Speaks
16. get him out (talk)
17. Fast Pony for Victor Jara
18. Kings & Queens
19. Cheap Like Sebastien
20. give it up (talk)
21. Baby, You’re In Luck
22. Haul Away
23. respect for the killer jams from Ottawa/outro
Buy the new record through Arts&Crafts.
**
My main man in Ottawa, Matthew at I{Heart}Music, is facing a nasty socan bill which he accumulated in the course of bringing you the finest music possible (read about it here and the follow-up here). Go on over and throw a few dollars his way. Not only will it get you +1000 karma points, he’s making you a mixtape with the help of some of his friends to say thanks.
B(oot)log 