This Friday, No Shame and Wavelength – in association with Pop Montreal – are bringing you Shamewave and here are the four reasons you cannot miss this show.
1) Nick Storring
Toronto’s Nick Storring is anything but your traditional musician. Combining ambient atmospherics with haunting electro tinges, Storring conjures up chilling storm clouds of instrumental proportions. No samples are used in his music, just various instruments, objects and field recordings.
2) Shapes + Sizes
Off on various other projects in the past couple of years (Miracle Fortress, Elfin Saddle, Think About Life), the members of Montreal’s Shapes + Sizes have again reunited for a new record entitled A Candle To Your Eyes (due out August 3). Back is the cacophony of noisy guitar riffs, quirky rhythms and lead singer Caila Thompson-Hannant’s off-filter yet beautiful voice.
3) Braids
Dream pop quartet Braids are still fairly young, in age and in existence as a band, but the maturity they pack in their perfectly woven hits is up their in the ranks of indie heavy hitters Animal Collective or the Dirty Projectors. If we didn’t give you enough warning before about this band, here’s another one. A few more months and we’ll be saying we told you so.
4) Colleen and Paul
What do we crave most during the summer? Well of course – sugary sweet sunshine folk pop. This power duo of sorts – Colleen Hixenbaugh of By Divine Right and Paul Linklater of The Pinecones – sings simplistic indie rock gems such as the cutesy “A Home In The Top Boughs” and fans of their respective day jobs will undoubtedly love the tunes of Colleen and Paul as well.
Tickets are still available for $8 in advance ($10 at the door) and doors are at 9pm. Come celebrate Wavelength 505 with a shamelessly amazing line up!
Here’s something that’s probably equally as shocking (and upsetting?) to you as it is to me: I haven’t been to a show in over a week. Well, with the exception of the fantastic Weakerthans in-store at Sonic Boom yesterday, but I mean an actual show. Something about Canadian Music Week must’ve wiped me out; I’ve spent the past ten or so days sitting in bed, sleeping, eating, sleeping some more… it’s about time I get out again. And what better a show to break my lazy streak than with a lovely night with No Shame.
Tonight, No Shame will be presenting an exciting lineup of bands from near and far at the Drake Hotel. Headlining the event will be UK’s The Wave Pictures. The Wave Pictures is a fun, charming indie-rock act that grabs inklings of Johnathan Richman dashed with cute handclaps and sing-along melodies (check out “Bye Bye Bubble Belly”). Definitely a band worth checking out while they’re in town – regret will ensue if you skip out, folks.
And backing up The Wave Pictures will be Toronto’s very own Maylee Todd and Pegwee Power and White Suede!
We all know that feeling – when you’re standing at a show and the thudding beat of the music hits you like an earthquake; you can’t help it but move, whether you’re just tapping your foot or full out busting a move. Good music does that; it grabs you by the hands and pulls you in for a twirl and a spin. To those on Saturday night at the Horseshoe who managed to not move at all – I will never understand you.
No Shame’s last show of January (Lauren Schreiber was one busy bee this month!) featured pop, glitter and an endless night of fun; a cohesively fantastic line-up of bands.
Halifax’s Rich Aucoin opened the night and all I can say is wow. I hadn’t listened to this electro-dance pop artist prior to the show so needless to say, I had no expectations. What I left with after Aucoin’s set though was the biggest smile ever and a lasting impression that I don’t think I’ve felt since I saw the Arcade Fire – only Rich Aucoin was only a three-piece. The stage, blanketed with a screen which projected lyrics to Aucoin’s songs for everyone to sing along to as well as snippets of Who The Grinch Stole Christmas didn’t prove to be as much of a distraction, rather than a charming complimentary to the music. Other theatrics included interactive sing-alongs, dancing, confetti-throwing and the electrifying finale completed with balloons and pure joy. This may come off as a lot of zaniness and absurdity but in Aucoin’s case, this all added to the spectacle of the show. Musically, Aucoin’s beat-heavy layered rhythms are glazed with a layer of sugary sweetness and often sounds bigger than its three-piece setting. Think The Arcade Fire meets Daft Punk – The Arcade Punk? A Rich Aucoin show is more than a simple set; it’s a musical experience that everyone must witness at least once. Definitely one of the most talented musicians I’ve seen in a while and have quite possibly single-handedly secured a place on my best shows of 2010 list.
Lioness followed, bringing their brand of dark disco-rock to the stage. To quickly get this out of the way – yes, they sound like Controller.Controller (two members of C.C are now in Lioness) – but Lioness has grown into its own musical entity in the past year. Bass thumping, electrifyingly distorted rock and goosebump-inducing vocals from lead singer Vanessa Fischer, Lioness continues to be a consistently a growing force in the Toronto music scene. For an added touch of jazz, Everything All the Time’s Joseph Shabason jumped on-stage to assist on the saxophone on a slowed-down version of “You’re My Heart” – strange hearing the tempo of the song taken down a notch but compelling and great nonetheless.
Headliners Everything All the Time ended the night, continuing where the previous bands left off. If you haven’t listened to EATT, I think many people put it this way – imagine Stars fronted by Diana Ross. Seriously. The band, led by dynamically mind-blowing vocalist Alanna Stuart (also one half of Bonjay), breathes new life to synth-pop with catchier-than-ever lyrics, uplifting and cheerful melodies and a beat you can dance to all night long, which I almost did. You can tell when you look at the group of musicians onstage that they’re perfectionists and if their live shows and latest EP are any indication, I’ll bet money that 2010 will be a great year for Everything All The Time. Big money.
Toronto’s Everything All The Time will be playing the Horseshoe Tavern on January 30th, as part of the No Shame-curated lineup, joining Halifax’s Rich Aucoin and fellow Torontonians Lioness. Joseph Shabason, who plays keyboards, saxophone and sings in the band, was kind enough to recently answer some questions via email. Read on to find out what Shabason recommends as a warmup for a EATT show, the challenges of having a band with six members, and more. I also embarrassed myself when it came to a classic song by an iconic Canadian band. Enjoy!
The SingingLamb: Is this your first time playing a No Shame show? Have you ever played with Lioness or Rich?
Joseph Shabason: This is actually our third No Shame show. The first one was with The Magic at Wrongbar and the second was for our EP release at The Drake with Mike Dugay and Whale Tooth. Lauren’s always been such a huge supporter/helper/friend of EATT, so hopefully there will be many more No Shames together. We played with Lioness before at CMW last year and they are fantastic. I actually went to high school with Jeff and Vanessa. The first show I every played was with a punk band called Martini in Jeff’s ex-girlfriend’s garage in Brampton in 1995. We opened for a band called Perfectly Normal which eventually became Moneen. Wild! We’ve never played with Rich before but we’re definitely excited to hear his set.
Joseph, the last time we interviewed you, you said that you started writing rock songs because you hated playing jazz. I noticed that many of your songs incorporate elements of snyth-pop and disco, and I was curious as to where the more “dancier” influences in your music come from?
Joseph: I think that everyone in Everything All The Time is a huge pop music fan, and a lot of our favorite pop songs are also pretty danceable. I mean a lot of the Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates and Madonna songs that we grew up listening to on the radio are also monster dance jams. I think that if your goal is to write good pop music, you’ll inevitably end up writing music that you can dance to.
With Alanna also singing in Bonjay, and the rest of you involved in various other music projects, how difficult is it for you guys to find the time to record and get together to play shows?
Joseph: VERY!!!!!!! The biggest struggle with this band is keeping things moving forward. Everyone has so many commitments/bands/kids/jobs/mortgages that to even lock down one day a week that we can all get together is pretty difficult. What ends up happening is that in the times that we all can’t meet together, different people who are available meet to write and record demos. That way when we all are able to be in the same place at the same time we always have new songs that we can work on.
With six members in the band, do you ever find yourselves without enough room on-stage? Do you guys have a regular stage set-up or do change it up for every show?
Joseph: It’s never been a huge problem, but we’ve definitely had problems/band discussions about what the best stage configuration for us is. Recently we’ve been trying out a “V” configuration with the drums at the back of the stage/”V” and Alanna right in the middle of the “V”. So far it’s been working pretty well. Alanna gets to be the focal point (which she should be) and we can all see each other which is important.
How would you suggest the crowd best warm-up for an Everything All The Time show?
Joseph: Two shots of tequila and some deep lunges.
Who from the band is the most likely to go out to a club and start an epic danceoff?
Joseph: I’m not sure. Back when we were younger I know that Kieran and I used to go dancing at The Dance Cave and have some dance-offs…but that was over five years ago…and we were total losers. I think that I might have even had a studded belt and some ironic belt buckle at the time. I wouldn’t put it past Mary to win a danceoff. …I feel like out of all of us she has the most tricks up her sleeve. These days I think most of us are just content to dance non-competitively. I know that when I used to throw the party “Loving In The Name Of” a lot of the members of EATT would show up and dance together. I think it was more of a positive friend jam than an epic dance-off thing.
You guys have a song called “Those Eyes”. Did you name it that because “These Guys” was already taken by The Guess Who?
Joseph: Do you mean “These Eyes” by the Guess Who? (Note: I did) I think you must, although “these guys” would be a pretty funny title change. The lyrics could be:
“These guys are cryin’
These guys have seen a lot of love
But they’re never gonna see another one like I had with you”
Everyone would be thinking “who the fuck are these sensitive guys who’ve seen so much love and why are they cryin’?”
Tell us about some of your other upcoming shows. Which show(s) are you guys most excited for?
Joseph: We are playing:
Late Night In The Bedroom on the 27th
Peterborough on the 28th w/ The Magic
Toronto @ The Horseshoe on the 30th w/ Lioness (Facebook event)
Brantford on the 5th of Feb
The Steam Whistle Brewry on the 5th of Feb w/ Dinosaur Bones
And an (as of right now) secret CMW showcase on the 11th of March
We’re excited for all the shows, but right now the show on the 30th at The Horseshoe we’re most pumped for. We haven’t played Toronto in a little while and we’ve been working on a bunch of new songs so it’ll be nice to play them to a hometown crowd.
What’s next for you guys?
Joseph: Recording a new album in the spring and fingers crossed doing a big tour come summer/fall. In the meantime we’re just gonna keep writing and playing and hopefully we’ll be able to do our music thang all-the-live-long-day. It’s just a matter of time before everyone realizes that we’re as good as we know we are.
When I was in my final year of high school, not too long ago, I wrote in my school paper about my little trip to Newmarket to see this band called The Elwins. My memory fails to recall how I stumbled upon them; I’m guessing it’s from one of those random MySpace clicking sprees that I do every so often when life seems too banal. I remember their EP release was on a Good Friday, and the parental units almost did not let me leave. But I was adamant, and I left home in the dust. I felt like a rebel.
Their EP release party was held at a youth recreation centre, which oddly piqued my interest for some reason. (At the time, I wrote a lot about shows held in unconventional venues. For one of the issues, I had also featured the first Daps show at Rolly’s Garage.) Greg Alsop, drummer of music sensation Tokyo Police Club and the night’s emcee, called the EP release party “the hippest thing that ever happened in Newmarket since 1997.” The master of ceremonies added that the only other equally hip thing that happened in this town was “the time Sloan’s tour bus broke down in front of Upper Canada Mall.”
Overall, it was a night of comedy and great tunes – definitely worth the trip to suburbia. If you get the chance, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of their self-titled EP. It is packed with five pop gems you are sure to love instantly! Tracks like “Dear, Oh My” and “Larry Pastorus” draw definite similarities to the cheerful pop-rock melodies of acts like friends the Bicycles and Ruby Coast. Guaranteed to paint a smile on anyone’s face.
The band is primarily made up of guitarist/vocalist Matt Sweeney and drummer Travis Stokl, with the new addition of third member, bassist Feurd. The band is also searching for a fourth member to round out the lineup.
Catch them live this Sunday at Wavelength’s 496th show, in partnership with No Shame! They will be playing with Tyson and the Trepids and Whale Tooth! And while you’re at it, check out an interview we did with them a few months ago!
The Singing Lamb: Introduce each member and any other bands or solo projects each may be in!
Alex Denike, Guitar + Vocals
Elise LeGrow, Vocals – also sings jazz + motown, see this Norm Maschke, Guitar + Vocals
Michael McCreary, Bass
Sep Noroozi, Drums
Let’s get a little history about the band; where and when did you all meet? How did the group come to be?
Norm was the main factor in getting us all together. He met Alex on Craigslist, Elise at a Halloween party, and already knew Sep from when they were in former bands. Mike and Alex have played together for years, and when Alex joined the band, thankfully Mike wasn’t far behind!
How does the group go about writing a song? Who’s the main lyricist? How collaborative is the process?
Our writing process is very collaborative. People’s ideas, however rough, get brought to the practice room, and we piece songs together as a band. So far, writing lyrics has been the responsibility of the singers – Elise, Norm and Alex.
You guys are based in Toronto – what is it about the Toronto music scene that’s so supportive and successful, you think? Have you ever considered re-locating anywhere? If the band could be in any other city on Earth, where would you want to be?
It’s a competitive environment, but most bands/acts are pretty good about supporting each other. That’s really what makes it successful. Everyone is out there striving for similar goals, but we’re still able to cheer each other on. We’ve never considered re-locating, but if we had to, it would be cool to go to somewhere outside of North America that still has a vibrant arts community. Somewhere like Edinburgh, or maybe Melbourne. I hear it’s like the Montreal of Australia.
You’re headlining this Sunday’s Wavelength – what are your fondest memories of the Wavelength music series? Are you going to miss it when the weekly series is gone?
Hank and Lilly back in 2008. That show rocked. It will definitely be missed. It gave people a chance to see bands that they might not seek out on their own.
And finally, if Whale Tooth was a singing animal, what would you guys be?
Don’t forget to catch Whale Tooth, along with The Elwins and Tyson and the Trepids this Sunday at the Garrison for Wavelength 496! (PWYC – suggested $5-10)
As much as I make a big fuss about writing year-end lists and the joys of compiling your favourites of the year, I actually find it to be a very difficult thing to do. Part of the reason why I found it hard this year was the vast amount of good music I’ve listened to; narrowing down my very favourites became more difficult than choosing which chef to root for on Top Chef (admit it, you kind of liked everyone in the final four). And once that’s decided, the writing process just gets trickier because now that you’ve chosen the best you really want to make sure you can get it across to the readers just how much you loved these albums, shows, bands, etc.
The following 9 shows (yes, I’m going with the oh-so-witty approach of doing ‘Top 9’ lists this year) were the ones that truly blew me away, gave me the chills, and left me wanting more.
1. The Dirty Projectors, TuneYards @ Opera House – November 14
The Dirty Projectors on record hadn’t impressed me much before and it wasn’t till I saw them at Lee’s back in July that I was officially converted into intense Dirty Projectors fandom. Following said show, I had their latest album Bitte Orca on heavy rotation and it seemed like every other word that came out of my mouth was “I love the Dirty Projectors!” So not only was this show at the Opera House one of my most anticipated shows of the year but also the one that delivered the most. Opening for the Brooklyn art-rockers was Montreal’s TuneYards, an act of whom I had been beating myself up for missing since May of this year. Not only did TuneYards front woman Merrill Garbus steal the show but she left me speechless, literally with my jaw down and staring at the stage in complete awe. Garbus’ use of looping vocals and instruments built an incredible room of sound that just blew everyone away, sending the crowd into a paralyzed state of disbelief or in a crazed state of dancing. The Dirty Projectors were equally as mind-blowing, giving yet another amazing performance of unbelievably flawless vocals (delivered by Angel Deradoorian, Haley Dekle and Amber Coffman – hailed as the Mariah Careys of indie-rock) and some of the tightest, most astonishing musicianship today. Can’t appreciate a band like the Dirty Projectors? See them live; almost guaranteed to convert even the coldest of indie hearts. Hands-down, the best show of 2009 from the best pairing of artists.
2. Broken Social Scene @ Harbourfront – July 11
I think it’s apparent from my list last year of best shows that I’m a fan of Broken Social Scene. Always was, always will be. So it really shouldn’t be shocking that my favourite Toronto collective is back on this list this year. Unfortunately I had missed BSS at Harbourfront back in 2004 but thanks to the cancelation of this year’s Olympic Island festival (regularly held by the folks of BSS), the band returned to the Sirius Satellite Radio Stage for a free show…yes, free. Needless to say, the place was packed, all the way to the edge of the water; I’m sure if people were desperate enough, they’d be watching the show on a boat. But it wasn’t because this was a packed show or because it was free that won me over; the spectacle of a Broken Social Scene show that wins me over every time is the band itself. And in this instance, we were all treated to a reunion of the lead female vocalists (Amy Millan, Emily Haines and Leslie Feist) and what ensued was clearly the best performance the band has given in a very long time. Hearing from several members days, weeks, even months after the show, they knew it was a magical moment that night and the most important thing is that everyone had fun. And what’s a show without an equal amount of great musicianship and fun. (video by staff photographer, Stephanie Luong)
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Kool Haus – August 5
Okay I’ll admit, Karen O is my idol and I kind of worship the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So yes, I’ve been waiting for this show for many, many years. But don’t get me wrong, if this show sucked, it wouldn’t have made this list. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are known for their highly energetic performances and that is exactly what I got. Lead singer Karen O is one of the most entertaining musicians I’ve ever seen onstage, running frantically around (in her signature Christian Joy costume), even lending the mic to the audience during “Cheated Hearts”. One thing I remembered thinking throughout the night was “Man, she just doesn’t stop smiling. I love it!” Underneath the wild leather jackets, capes and makeup, regardless of where you are in the venue, you can see the sincerity in Karen O’s face. Guitarist Nick Zinner still remains to be one of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen and even though Karen O takes centre stage, Zinner and drummer Brian Chase were the musical gems of the night. Albeit it was at a venue I’m not crazy about but for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I’d even trek to the Sound Academy. On a sidenote, I went to this show injured; that’s how much of a fan I am of this band. I went with a busted ankle and left limping (for several weeks, actually).
4. Everything All The Time, The Magic, The Balconies @ Horseshoe – August 26
Could that line-up be any more awesome? Three of my favourite local acts under one roof, I’d kill to see this line-up again and again. As much as big extravaganzas at the Kool Haus or Harbourfront were amazing, a show like this one, celebrating the release of Everything All The Time’s EP, was just equally as incredible. It almost goes without saying anymore that I love the Balconies and both live and on record, they consistently blow me away. This show marked the first time I finally got to see them live and they didn’t disappoint. Strong dynamics and vocals between brother-sister duo Steve and Jacquie Neville, backed by the drumming talents of Liam Jaeger, it is almost alarming how talented these guys are for such a young band. I think Bob Battams of It’s Not the Band I Hate Its Their Fans says it best: “Their debut album encapsulates a brave form of ambition that most bands save up for their third or fourth album. This means that, in theory, their third or fourth album is going to be the greatest thing ever.” The Magic, another band I’ve consistently watched throughout the year, is just packed with a ridiculous roster of talent and onstage, they’re a band that I want to see more of every time. Everything All The Time has seriously become on of my favourite bands of the year. Their unique brand of electro-pop meets Diana Ross is infectious and nothing makes me happier than listening to the band’s EP. From playing a headlining show at the Horseshoe to opening for Thunderheist at the Mod Club, EATT never disappoints.
5. Think About Life @ everywhere – throughout the year.
I’m breaking the rules for this one. Think About Life is quite possibly one of the most exciting, most exhilarating and most fun bands I’ve seen in years. These guys are just so phenomenal live that I couldn’t pick out one specific show of theirs I fell in love with because to be honest, I fall in love with them every time I see them. From confetti to balloons, these guys pull out all the tricks live but it doesn’t come off as cliché, in fact it heightens every performance to a new level and you really just feel like you’re part of the party. If you go to a Think About Life show and you don’t dance, you have no soul. Okay, that’s a little harsh – you have a soul; there’s definitely something wrong with you though. How does one not dance to Think About Life? I need some serious answers.
6. No Shame 100 feat. Green Go, Ruby Coast, Pick A Piper, The Skeletons Four @ Horseshoe – September 18
This show was literally one of the best parties of the year. Great music, great people, an amazing and lovely promoter – what more can you ask for? Green Go was, without a doubt, the band of the year for me. I had voted Green Go number one for my list of ‘Hottest Bands in Canada ’09’ for i(heart)music but seeing as how they somehow didn’t make it on the list, here’s my little blurb about them:
“Rarely do I discover a band that I can watch and listen to over and over again without getting sick of but Green Go definitely has a spot on that list. Having seen them seven times in 2009, I’m still left wanting more as the band just gets better with each performance. With the release of their debut album, Borders and a slew of tour dates everywhere across the country, this was clearly the year of Green Go. Simply put, the hottest Canadian band of ’09 – and deservingly so.”
7. Timber Timbre, Emma McKenna @ Church of Redeemer – July 17
I’m a big fan of church shows and you couldn’t get more perfect than having Timber Timbre play at the Church of Redeemer this year. The entire evening was a subdued, relaxed affair and even though energetic shows can be fun and exciting, I find shows like this one equally as exciting and enjoyable. Taylor Kirk’s hauntingly beautiful voice, backed up by a band which included Forest City Lovers violinist Mika Posen filled the room remarkably well. Every song crept around the church in a slow, almost mesmerizing manner. It’s almost impossible for me to Timber Timbre in any other type of atmosphere anymore.
8. Beirut, The Dodos @ Phoenix – July 9
This was my first time seeing Beirut and The Dodos and since this was a last minute opportunity to see both bands, I almost died of excitement. I almost prefer the Dodos live as opposed to on record because seeing the dynamics and musicianship of lead singer Meric Long is great. As for Beirut, I’m still pretty speechless from their live performance. Just watch the video below and tell me you’re not in love with Zac Condon. (You can’t do it!)
9. The Singing Lamb Launch Party feat. Hexes & Ohs, The Winter Gloves, Green Go, Sports The Band, Maylee Todd @ Tranzac – January 10
You didn’t think I’d forget this one, did you?
***
Honourable mentions to: Parlovr, Diamond Rings, Bruce Peninsula, The Happiness Project, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Thunderheist, Jenn Grant, Katie Stelmanis, The Ruby Suns, Julie Doiron, Ume, Woodhands, and Olenka & The Autumn Lovers.
This is it, folks! Tomorrow night will be No Shame’s first New Voices Night and it’s time to introduce you to our third and final new voice of the showcase – Toronto’s Steve McKay.
One may be familiar with Steve McKay’s musical endeavors with other local acts such as Bruce Peninsula, T H O M A S, and Timber Timbre, just to name a few, but McKay’s solo effort is just as worthy of your undivided attention. Having studied percussion and electro-acoustic composition, McKay incorporates said knowledge and the result is acoustic sunshine pop with some of the best sing-along melodies this year. A song like “Emma Comes Home” will get stuck in your head for days at end with it’s la-la-la harmonies and chorus and also some sweet whistling, and god knows how I’m a sucker for whistling – cue my obsession with that one Peter Bjorn and John song. Interestingly enough, McKay’s debut EP is entitled Whistle and he is currently working on a new release slated to be released in late 2009/early 2010 that’ll be released through Fuzzy Logic Recordings.
A week and a half ago, I went to a No Shame showcase at the Garrison featuring The Wilderness of Manitoba and headliners Olenka & the Autumn Lovers and was pretty blown away by the entire night but for some reason forgot to post that (unfortunately, I had missed the first act, Slow Down, Molasses). So consider this edition of “The Singing Lamb Recommends…” a make-up post about these bands.
The Wilderness of Manitoba is a great band live and on record, but in two very different ways. On record, the band’s warm harmonies hug your ears and sing you into a state of peace and tranquility. The band’s recent EP Hymns Of Love & Spirits is a hauntingly beautiful collection of tunes that builds on thin layers of intricate instrumentation but simplistic melodies. Live, the Wilderness of Manitoba transform into an entirely different band – one that’s grander, stronger and creates an even bigger impact on the audience than the record. One grows an entirely different perspective and new-found sense of respect for this band after seeing a live performance of theirs. A track like “Bluebirds” somehow becomes five times more spectacular when watching and listening to the four part harmony blend together with everyone’s instrumentation in front of you. Simply amazing. Whether you listen to them at home or watch them play in front of you, The Wilderness of Manitoba will warm your musical heart.
I think me and many others have come to the consensus that Olenka and the Autumn Lovers sounds like the perfect mix of Basia Bulat and Beirut (but fronted by an equally attractive woman). This band’s indie-folk tunes is carried out beautifully by lead singer Olenka Krakus’ dynamic and unique voice followed by eccentric mix of instruments – from sharp and sweet guitars to unexpected accordions and lush orchestration. Live, you get hit by a wave of beautiful noise (pardon my excessive use of the word ‘beautiful’ throughout this article…it’s quite necessary, in my opinion) and are immediately pulled in. I’ve only seen them once but something tells me this is a band I’ll never get tired of watching and hearing.
Continuing today with our three day marathon of introductions in preparation for No Shame’s New Voices Night at the Drake (again, doors for the event are at 9PM and will only set you back $6.00!), let us introduce you to Catriona Sturton and The Pigeons!
Does that name sound familiar? Well one may remember Ottawa’s Catriona Sturton as the former bassist of 90′s all-girl pop-rock band Plumtree. But don’t expect to hear the same full-fledge rock force from a solo Sturton that you used to hear in Plumtree. Sturton’s music is extracts the pop elements of Plumtree and infuses new strains of folk to come out with a playful, vibrant sound comparable to Julie Doiron or The Bicycles and The Hidden Cameras but fronted by a rockin’ woman. A talented, multi-instrumentalist (she plays accordian, harmonica, bass, shamisen and guitar), Sturton has recorded and played with other influential artists such as Neko Case, Al Tuck, The Bicycles, The Secret. If you’ve never heard of her before, I’m confident that Catriona Sturton will become a regular on your music rotation once you give her a listen and see her live. Sturton is currently recording her debut album.
