Epigramme @ The Hideout

Hey, these guys are pretty damn good. Slick tunes, lots of energy, tight rhythms (despite the bass player reading from print-outs for his parts - at least I think that was happening - which is awesome) solid vocals and even a couple of badass guitar solos. Musically they’re pretty heavy on the rhythm and take a softer, ambient-style approach to melody - this appeals to me. Although I’m a little leery about doing a cover song for your closing number, regardless of how epic it was (pretty fucking epic).

Satellite Nation @ Rancho Relaxo

Australian rockers who basically sound like whatever your little brother’s favourite band on Edge 102 sounds like right now. I’ll give ‘em credit for a great performance (to a curiously large and interested, yet entirely seated, crowd) and a big sound, but I don’t listen to the Edge for a good reason. Mostly to prevent my tragic suicide. But I’m apparently a jaded, cynical music snob. Maybe you are not. Maybe you will like these guys.

Slim Twig @ The Silver Dollar

Cello, Farfisa organ, ancient drum machine, insane drummer and weirdo guitarist. Ordinarily, this is a recipe for success in my books, but the vocals were completely unhearable (despite his straining and yelling) over the screaming guitar and crashing drums. From what I could make out, it was entirely a good thing I couldn’t hear more. I’ll throw them in with Action Makes… more youngish types wearing ironic western wear and spazzing out to appropriated rock formats.

The Schomberg Fair @ The Silver Dollar

3 am, I’m wasted from a day full of running around between venues, and I manage to stick it out until the bitter end. I can’t believe there’s this many people here. And I kid you not, the room went absolutely insane for a good half-hour of dancing and sweating for these guys’ self-dubbed speed-gospel. They just picked up a new drummer, and the songs seem even faster than before, and heavier… the reaction from the crowd indicates this is a good thing. Things got so sweaty and so intense, I’m pretty sure lead singer Matt’s wedding band flew off his hand into the crowd, who thankfully, for his sake, retrieved it for him. I mean, you just can’t make stuff like that up. Overall, great time.

Wayside Ramblers @ The Second City

Not technically part of NXNE, but these guy played after the Boiled Weiners “Take a Chance on Meat” show, and they were fantastic. 4 guys swapping a guitar, bass, mandolin and banjo between themselves, they played mostly unamplified on the Second City stage, and it was pure, warm tones, smiling faces all around, in the crowd and on stage. Worth staying after the show. Worth tracking down in their Queen West / Ronces stomping grounds.

Old Man Luedecke @ The Rivoli

The crowd, it seemed, was a mix of about 1/3 OML fans (some of whom singing along to the words) and 2/3 indifferent nu-Queen St. snobs. I didn’t grow in Toronto, was there ever a time when the Rivoli wasn’t a haven for club-yuppies? (Cluppies?) Crowd and venue aside, the music was fantastic. Heart-warming lyrics, brilliant banjo-playing, and foot-stomping catchiness. In between songs, we’re held rapt by charming stories about Pete Seeger’s environmental chastising, Nina Simone records, and self-deprecating jokes. Great from start to finish.

Elder Roche @ The Hideout

He was advertised as an Irish Tom Waits. He’s not. I don’t like hearing a solo artist playing keyboards very often (even a nice Korg like Roche had). The electronic amplification inevitably sounds cheap and cold, especially compared to a real piano, and that was a poor match for his otherwise decent voice, and his earthy folk songs. It would have been great to feel real piano chords resonating in the room… musically, Elder Roche was OK, although I get the feeling I’d like him better playing in a pub on a cold day, with lots of beer and friends.

Primaries @ Rancho Relaxo

Snotty fast English punk rock with some tight dance-infected beats. I thought they were OK. It’s not my thing but they played pretty well, especially considering the prior band The Gin Riots (also from the UK) had the room packed, and just about everyone left before the Primaries got on stage. It takes a lot of balls to play hard to an almost empty room. Comparing the two bands, I’m not sure why the Gin Riots drew the crowd and these guys didn’t, but that’s how the biz is. OK, they were pretty much a one-note band, particularly on the vocals, but when you’re getting English punks, that’s pretty much what you’re looking for. Or is it?

The Pack AD @ Sneaky Dee’s

OK, they’re two chicks who play drums and guitar. Their songs are heavy on the rock and heavy on the blues riffs. The singer can wail in her best Joplin voice just fine. So why don’t I give a shit? Because after 3 songs, it all starts sounding the same? Because after the 10th histrionic “yeEAaAAHhhhh!!!” I start to question the depth and sincerity of her blues? Because recycling blues-rock doesn’t mean much to me, no matter how well you do it? They’ve got talent, and they can play hard, but if you want real blues, you can dig way deeper than this.

Hot Springs @ Sneaky Dee’s

They started out on a similar note as The Pack AD: female-fronted rock band with a hard edge. Luckily for them/me, they didn’t stop there. Their singer has a 3-dimensional approach to her vocals (Pack AD did not - full-throttle rock voice does not have to be the only setting on your microphone - dynamics increases impact) and their band rocked hard. Again, for the 2nd time in one night we’ve got hard-rocking ladies with long hair head-bangin’. Yes.

Somewhere deep inside, I’m starting to wonder why loose hair + rock dudes + energy is so rare in the indie scene right now. Emo boys, leave the hairpsray alone. Or maybe they’re just too self-conscious to let it all out?

Anyway, the Hot Springs are OK in my books. A visit to their myspace song selections was pleasant too.

OK City OK @ The Silver Dollar

They’re from Tokyo and they play this kind of funky rock music. Eventually I have to mention the frontman is a regular old white guy who seemed to imply he used to live in Toronto (or had some kind of familiarity at least) so I’ll just throw that out there. He was the weakest link in the band, too, unfortunately. His vocals seemed strained at times, and wasn’t as strong as the band backing him, who were pretty bad-ass. I hereby decree all female bass players are required to keep their hair long and headbang with vigour. This always looks awesome and is hot. The drummer kept it simple but bashed his drums with force, and the violinist guy actually broke a string on his violin, which tore part of his bow apart. The guy didn’t even stop, just tore off the loose gut and kept going. This is also awesome.

Too bad their lead singer looks like a mid-30’s guy doing his Lenny Kravitz impression. Still, overall, they were likable. Some good tunes, and they’re fun to watch (they seem to have a lot of fun playing, which is infectious).

Action Makes @ The Silver Dollar

Dressed-up Toronto 20-something hipsters play vaguely bluesy, country-tinged rock, come off looking mildly smug, and the dance-kids jump up and down. To be honest, I’m getting more than a little sick of this formula. I’m not an authenticity nazi, but… well, maybe I am. This shit just sounds contrived. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know.

The Rural Alberta Advantage @ The Boat

Well, I’ve seen a handful of times prior to this, so I sort of know what to expect. What I expected is what I got: tight set, lots of energy from all members, nice relatively concise pop songs with lots of percussive force. The only thing that might cause them a problem is being too consistently good in a live setting. Never bad, never completely mind-shattering, always impressive.

Man, am I ever a dick sometimes. This is still one of the better bands in town. Better than your band, anyway.

Modernboys Moderngirls @ The Boat

Either your sound guy screwed up your mix, or your songwriting and harmonic choices make your live performance sound like you’re playing inside a giant garbage can. I’m thinking a little of column A and a little from column B. No lyrics could be made out because of said shitty mix combined with all the vocalists penchant for shouting instead of singing (hitting notes is over-rated in Kensington I guess).

Anyways, I wasn’t impressed. More semi-dirty semi-dance rock crap from young people who look like walking American Apparrel ads. Except for their keyboardist, who looks like Dustin Diamond’s little brother.

Flavour of the day for spastic fashion whores anxious to define themselves.

Angel Pier @ Supermarket

I saw half the set. It was mostly remarkable only for it’s unremarkableness. Yeah that’s right, they came from Ireland just to be panned by random bloggers. (Side note: does distance from band’s home town increase indie-cool factor via heightened “obscurity”? Time to essay) I don’t know - what I heard was pretty ok to decent indie rocking. I heard the sound was crap all night, and maybe that was a factor in the performance. Still, Angel Pier - not vital.

The Coast @ The Horseshoe

Despite my TTC mishaps, I made it almost on time to see The Coast open up the Horseshoe. I’ve known about this band for about a year now, but had never really listened to them. As it turns out, I wasn’t really missing all that much. That’s not to say they’re a bad band, just that I don’t like their songs.

They have very nice live energy, they can convincingly rock (no small feat for otherwise friendly-looking indie hipster types), and they played a loud, noisy and sweaty set. Live reviews, as was opined later in the evening, have to deal with performance just as much, or more so, than content. It’s the content that was lacking for me. There was no shortage of decent rhythm or rock riffing, but I get the feeling if I sat down with their CD, I’d be dealing with some pretty typical pop-rock material with no particularly compelling lyrical voice or unique element at all. They are a good rock band. One of dozens in Toronto alone.

I See Rowboats @ Cameron House / Rah Rah @ The Boat

They sounded pretty great from the cramped hallway we waited in briefly, as the Cameron House was “full” (despite peeks inside revealing a relatively sparse crowd that had the ability to sit at tables comfortably - it was not “full” relative to any other club we visited last night, that’s all I’m saying. Fire safety be damned!) The violin in particular sounded quite lush and warm and, best of all, loud and clear. It would have to be nice to get in for this one, except we entered the club late because I HAD TO HAVE A HOT DOG. Yep, I ruined this one. Sorry Tyler and Jenny. The hot dog kind of sucked, too. The unhealthiness of it was really just the second layer of guilt, greasily filming over the guilt of getting us all stuck in the wait line.

So we went to the Boat, to catch the last half of (I don’t know their name and the NXNE Schedule page will never ever load, apparently) and they were quite nice. Apart from a poorly chosen ancient and dirty Expos baseball hat on the lead singer, the band was amicable, catchy and fun. In particular there was a memorable lyric that went something like “It’s fashionable to be single / in big cities, but not in small towns” which I thought was entertaining and more-or-less true. Good on you, whoever you were.

EDIT: I’ve finally discovered who the band was - it’s Rah Rah from Regina, SK. I like them.