Fucked Up
Have you decided on your costume for Halloween yet? If not, you’d best hurry up, as there are only three more days until October 31st. I was helping out a friend search for the missing pieces of her outfit in Kensington Market this weekend, and I couldn’t help but notice the amount of Michael Jackson-style sequined jackets that were on the racks of the used and retro clothing/costume stores. But if you are worried that dressing up as the King of Pop might give off the wrong impressions, perhaps reading this News Update might give you some costume inspiration. Or maybe not. At the very least, those of you without Halloween plans, might find a show worth checking out.
Want to see some great hardcore and punk bands in Toronto this week? Then you should definitely check out the Fucked Up Weekend 2009, which kicks off tomorrow and runs until Sunday. This year’s edition takes place in several venues around the city and features numerous bands that you have – and haven’t – heard of, including Toronto’s Little Girls and Metz, Montreal’s Red Mass, Washington’s Iron Lung, and the of course, the hosts themselves. Fucked Up recently announced that they will be releasing a B-sides and rarities double album, entitled Couple Tracks (EXCLAIM! has the track-listing here), which will be out January 26th. And if you think that winning a Polaris Prize will have mellowed these guys out…well, you can guess again. But if you pick one show to see at this fest, make it the all-ages Thursday showcase at the Kathedral. For seeing Damian Abraham and Co. live, here are my suggestions: wear loose-fitting clothing to this show, carry as little material possessions as possible, and prepare by drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Details and set times for all the shows can be found over at Fucked Up’s blog.
Speaking of Pink Eyes, Mr. Abraham’s name has recently popped in a rather unlikely place: in the comments section for nominees for the “Sexiest Musician” category in the 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards. Huh? If you disagree then feel free to head over to the CBC 3 website and vote on this and other categories. You have until this Friday at 5pm Pacific to have your say, and then voting for the long list will begin Nov. 2nd.
MSTRKRFT will be playing the Guvernment’s Halloween event, “Thriller” (See? MJ again), along with a whole slew of quote “world-class” DJs that I have never heard of. So I made the effort to look up Ireland’s Japanese Popstars and Australia’s Dirty South, and to be completely honest, they are absolute shit. But JFK and Al-P put on one hell of a show, and it might be worth the wait, especially if you’ve never seen the duo DJ live before. Your call.
If you are looking for a Halloween show with less crowd inebriation or glow sticks, and more gentle head-bobbing, British folk-pop band Noah and the Whale will be at the Horseshoe on Oct. 31st. I’ve yet to listen to their new album, The First Days Of Spring, but their “5 Years Time” was one of my favourite songs of last year. Oh, and according to their MySpace, the band requests that you come dressed up as your “favourite dead celebrity”. The band will also be stopping by Criminal Records for an in-store performance from noon to 1pm.
Spiral Beach is heading to Europe on-tour starting November 9th and they are looking to raise some funds by playing three acoustic shows. You can check the Toronto quartet out Nov. 3rd at C’est What (67 Front St. East), Nov. 6th at an artists’ consignment shop called Repsycho (676 College St., between Grace and Crawford), and/or Nov. 7th at The Only Cafe (972 Danforth Ave). All the details on the shows can be found on the Facebook event page here.
Gentleman Reg, aka Reg Vermue, will be releasing a new digital download-only EP entitled Heavy Head. The six-track EP features the previously unreleased “Justified” with Owen Pallett and Reg’s cover of Stevie Nicks’ “Wild Heart”, and will be released in two song installments (two remixes, two b-sides, two covers) starting on November 10th. By December 1st, all six songs will be available online be available online. Fans attending Gentleman Reg’s upcoming tour will be able to purchase the EP in advance as a limited edition, exclusive, download card with the EP cover art. Full details here. In other Reg-related news, my roommate and I have reason that the Toronto singer lives in my neighbourhood, as we have seen him riding his bike and frequenting a local cafe (as if I’m going to tell you which one) on several instances. Kind of cool nonetheless.
What’s better than Alexisonfire and Australia? How about Alexisonfire IN Australia? If this sounds like a dream holiday to you, Dine Alone Records in partnership with Tourism Australia and Goway Travel, will be sending two people to Australia to see the band perform in Melbourne’s SoundWave Festival in February 2010. For contest details head here.
Before I go, I have to remind you about a show tonight put on by a good friend of the Lamb, Lauren Schreiber (if you see her there, be sure to congratulate her on her recent engagement!), a.k.a. Ms. No Shame. The Garrison bill includes London’s Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Toronto’s The Wilderness of Manitoba, and Saskatoon’s Slow Down Molasses. This show starts at 9pm and attending will set you back only eight bucks.
Happy Halloween everyone!
Cheers,
Max
