Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees

I never make new years resolutions because they never work out. This is why making Canadian Music Week/Fest (come one people, just stick to Week – sounds better) plans was a big mistake to begin with.

Not only did I not begin my CMW adventure on Wednesday like I had planned (I skipped out on Lioness at the last minute), but Thursday night’s schedule did not go according to plan at all – which may sound disastrous but actually ended up being a pretty good thing.

Instead of heading to the Horseshoe for Chartattack’s showcase (featuring The Lovely Feathers, $100, Women, etc); I started my night off at the Gladstone Hotel at Eye Weekly’s showcase for Castlemusic andAngela Desveaux and the Mighty Ship. Logically, it was just a more convenient stop because I had planned on attending Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees at 11:00 pm at the Drake Underground; not to mention other complications that night.

Surprisingly enough, I had never been to the Gladstone and was quite impressed by the venue. Its spacious room made for great views regardless of where you’re standing in the crowd and the darkly lit atmosphere casted quite the relaxing mood. Definitely a place that I’ll be visiting more frequently in the future for shows.

I hadn’t heard much from Castlemusic (a.k.a. Toronto’s Jennifer Castle) but had heard enough raving reviews of her latest release, You Can’t Take Anyone that made me excited to see her. Hidden underneath a baseball cap, it was hard to see Jennifer Castle throughout her set, but her voice more than made up for that. Her beautifully delicate vocals (at times, reminiscent of a more toned down and bluesy Julie Doiron) accompanied by her simplistic and dark guitar was captivating to say the least. Castlemusic is something that gradually grows on you as the music progresses, as reflected by the growing crowd as she played. At times, it was too melancholic for my liking and I found my mind veering off but overall, I quite enjoyed the set. Personally, I see myself enjoying Castle’s music more when I’m in bed with my headphones on but I do suggest fans and curious listeners to catch her live at least once to experience the striking presence of the tunes.

Official Website: http://www.jennifercastlemusic.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jennifercastlemusic

Angela Desveaux and the Mighty Ship was a band I was fairly more familiar with, as I had been lurking their MySpace for quite some time now (I believe I had originally stumbled across her music on Chromewaves). The Montreal native’s country-tinged pop was sweet, endearing and although I bet this set was not their finest (they can do better), they did a solid job worth commending. There appeared to be a lack of energy throughout their set, but that could’ve just been a misunderstanding towards their laid-back attitude and demeanour. Desveaux’s strong vocals and her cute attempts to create banter were entertaining and often put a smile on my face. Instead of leaving disappointed though, I left wanting more. Angela Desveaux and the Mighty Ship, mission accomplished; I am hooked.

Official Website: http://angeladesveaux.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/angeladesveaux

Unfortunately after that, I had to head down the street to the Drake Hotel for Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. I would’ve loved to have returned for The Week That Was, Slim Twig, and The Rural Alberta Advantage but alas, that didn’t happen.

I think Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees were among one of the week’s most anticipated bands, in my opinion, as it was their first performance in Toronto and they had just released their debut album not long ago. You may not be used to seeing lead singer, Rebekah Higgs as the front woman of an electro-dance outfit (as her solo material is much calmer and sweet), but she masters the role with ease, energy and confidence. With an electric sense of energy, the band tore through their set with power and force. The band’s dark and danceable tracks translate to live performances smoothly and emotes a Death From Above 1979-meets-MSTRKRFT vibe, especially thanks to their talented guitarist, Jason Vautour and drummer, Sean MacGillivray. Higgs’ stage presence is undeniable, especially when she would jump into the crowd and attempt to make others around her move and dance. Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees is definitely a band to watch out for in the next couple of months as they are truly forces to be reckoned with. And as an exciting bit of news, they are apparently already slated to play this year’s NXNE so better prepare for a kick-ass show in June!

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rubyjeanandthethoughtfulbees

I was able to catch a bit of Malajube’s set at El Mocambo at midnight but definitely not enough to write a proper review. From the viewpoint of someone who’s already seen them play before though, they are a solid band live but nothing too spectacular. Worth seeing once for sure, but for the most part, just sticking to the albums is not a bad alternative. Hopefully I’ll catch them again sometime soon and they’ll prove me wrong. Prove me wrong, Malajube.

Please feel free to let me know how your CMW experiences went! I’d love to know! Watch for more reviews as the week progresses!

No photos were taken from these shows.