Knifemare, Centretown Cripplers, and Bad Vibrations at Babylon Nightclub, 11/05/10

Tuesday night shows with actual good bands are tops. Something about being on holidays (holy days!) 'n all that. So I got there as Knifemare were playing their last song unfortunately and got no photos, but they sounded killer [bees] from where I was standing (the bathroom). Seemed like Centretown Cripplers took a while to warm to playing an actual live show with an actual audience, but once they eased up their songs were top fun - the last one and a half especially. Am I allowed to say they sounded a bit '70s garage-punk? Mayhaps it's the keys and guitars x3. I really enjoyed Bad Vibrations - the beauty about them is that they have the simplest set-up: no fancy pedals and a really basic drum kit and they're just 3 snot-nosed kids who want to play sweet tunes with the minimal shit that they have and have fun while they do it. An equation that seems to work. Looking forward to seeing them at Obey Convention IV again.

This was also my last show in Ottawa before leaving for bigger and better and scarier things so I'm feeling a little sentimental (or maybe I'm getting that confused with my terror that I'll be house-less for almost 3 months). It's been rad (mostly), the shows have all been fun - even if I hated a band here and there, and the people pretty friendly too. SO THANKS! Goodbye Capital.
(It feels so cheesy writing that down.)












http://www.myspace.com/knifemareworldwide
http://www.myspace.com/centretowncripplers
http://www.myspace.com/bdvbes

Grand Trine at Rock and Roll Pizza Party, nIXne Nightlub, 06/05/10

I only saw the last 3 songs of Grand Trine because I was late because I was drunk or something like that. It wasn't as fun as the first time I saw them but it was also less packed, and they're kinda rockin' anyway so I didn't mind so much. Here are 3 photos I managed to somehow to take on my ever diminishing-flashing-NO-BATTERY! camera. Also, there was actually pizza this time.




http://www.myspace.com/grandtrinemtl

Toro Y Moi and Caribou at Babylon Nightclub, 04/05/10

Two and a half hours of lining up for a ticket and blisters and word games to keep us from going mental but CARIBOU! Toro Y Moi were really flat, apparently only their second time playing as a full band but they seemed so unenthused. A few good dancier bits but overall too much nothing. (I tend to hate a lot of things.) But Caribou, oh Caribou sounded excellent. Double drumming double guitaring pedalling bassing everything with crispy and clear, spot on timing. What a band eh.

The Visitors and Year Zero at Rock 'n Roll Pizza Party, NIXNE Nightclub, 29/04/10

Remember when it was 2001 or 1998 or something like that when pop-punk was it and you were so young that even if it wasn't you didn't care 'cos you got to air guitar around your room and jump on mattresses with your friends and those were the songs that you probably played in your first band before you discovered the world of actual interesting music. Well The Visitors were a bit like those fond memories you hold of those days and how good/bad your haircut was. Plus, they sounded a little bit like Hole on Celebrity Skin when the girl sang and I love Hole and that album. So yeah, they were fun. Year Zero probably aim/ed for the same thing with fun songs, and their songs are fun (I have the tape!) but I walked out after 3 songs to be honest, and it might have gotten better towards the end of their set but I was so bored by it that I don't really care if they did. No stage presence, and pop-punk, to be good these days, really needs that I think. At least there was an excellent Japanese film with lots of blood playing in the background.
Also, I leave Ottawa so soon! Madness. Halifax photos/gigs will be brills.














http://www.myspace.com/thevisitorsarecool
http://www.myspace.com/yearzeroottawa

CHUO Fundraiser with The Shakey Aches, Holy Cobras and the band whose name is a symbol at The Dominion Tavern, 17/04/10

It's funding drive! CHUO put on a show! Community radio is totally bad ass and you should make a pledge to your fave program! More exclamation marks! CHUO staff also all listen to really bangin' tunes and thus the selection of fine young (and not so young) bands playing this fundraiser. The Shakey Aches were all incarnations of pop-/proto-/garage-/country-/blues- punk. Yes that is lots of prefixes and no I'm probably not on the money with all of them but why not. I love Holy Cobras and they're always (always!) fun to watch but the mix for them was pretty shit and as such it sounded really muted when I wanted it to be all enveloping. But still, try listen to them and stand still the whole time. Not possible I tells ya. And the band whose name is a symbol ... I don't even know what to say. 9-piece psychedelic-extravaganza, everyone was blissing out. Check out the religious-experience facial expressions. Just go see them when they play. There were lots of old dudes (sorry, am I showing my age?) having a good ol' dance too. Muchos fun.












(so devastated this is unfocused! wasn't quick enough.)








http://www.chuo.fm/en/home
http://www.myspace.com/theshakeyaches
http://www.myspace.com/holycobras
http://birdmansound.blogspot.com (the band whose name is a symbol don't have any sort of website, but their drummer runs Birdman Sound Record store so this'll do. When I googled the band whose etc. Prince's wikipedia page came up as like, the 9th result. Awesome!)