Canadian Music Week Update

Its been a pretty intense week here in Toronto. I can finally relate to what it must be like to live in Austin, Texas during SXSW. For those back home, its Canadian Music Week here and every night has half-a-dozen bands playing at a dozen venues from Wednesday to Sunday. Not living downtown I had to forgo the militant indie fan role for the more casual two-night visit.

Thursday Night @ The Silver Dollar
Autodrone 8 : 00 PM
Locksley 9 : 00 PM
Moi Caprice 10 : 00 PM
The High Dials 11 : 00 PM
Uncut 12 : 00 AM
Les Breastfeeders 1 : 00 AM

I arrived at the beginning of Moi Caprice's set. This Danish band has signed with a Canadian label and sings in English, so I guess that's how they qualified for CMW. They had a distinctively European flavour - at least it seemed to me. It wasn't exactly my type of music but was definitely an enjoyable set. The High Dials followed which was a real treat since their album, War of the Wakening Phantoms, was one of the first indie Canadian albums I bought. Next up, Uncut, really kicked it up a notch at midnight with a hardrock edge that had been missing so far. I'd never listened to these guys so this was the surprise pick of the night. The set closed with Les Breastfeeders who, as usual, did not disappoint. They are one of the most fantastic bands to see live. I own both of their recent albums and while they are satisfying to listen to, it doesn't compare at all to their live shows. Their music is very danceable and energetic and seems to magically capture wandering bodies within its reach and possess their limbs...

Saturday Night @ The Horseshoe Tavern
Wil 8 : 00 PM
Yoko Casionos 9 : 00 PM
Two Hours Traffic 10 : 00 PM
In-Flight Safety 11 : 00 PM
The Golden Dogs 12 : 00 AM
Jenn Grant 1 : 00 AM

I came a bit earlier to this show because the line-up was so solid. I'd heard of four of the six bands and see two live on the same bill a month before. Saturday's line-up featured a truly pan-Canadian mix with Vancouver's Yoko Casionos, Charlottetown's Two Hours Traffic, Halifax's In-Flight Safety and Toronto's (originally Thunderbay) The Golden Dogs. The Golden Dogs were worth the price of admission (only $10) alone as their 70s-esque rocker Nineteen-hundred-and-eighty-five tore the roof off the joint. The Yoko Casionos, whose Much Music style pop-rock hadn't appealed to me in February, were much likeable this time around. Two Hours Traffic was probably the second biggest hit of the night, and played a number of hit-worthy tunes after an impassioned introduction by the Horseshoe's tavern keeper. A memorable night!

In keeping with my tradition of posting a song every week or so, here's Quadra Island's Mother Mother with their track Polynesia. Mother Mother played Friday night at the Horseshoe and I missed out because I'm too weak and old to go out 3 nights in a row. This song alone would have made it worth it though.

Enjoy.

Mother Mother - Polynesia.