3am Mixtapes: Episode Eighty Three: Jobs (with Gina Loes)

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best supergroups. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs Translated into a Different Language. 

This week I am joined by special guest Gina Loes, the lead singer of The Ruffled Feathers, who just put out her own solo EP called Get A Job June. And that, combined with the fact that I recently lost my job (making this a literal "get a job June" for me) means we talked about the Top Six Songs About Jobs!

Let these help you get through the working day:

"Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford

"I Quit My Job" by Old Man Luedecke
"Capitalism is the Reason" by OK Vancouver OK
"Job Slob" by Brazilian Money
"I Hate Work" by Shred Kelly
"Get A Job June" by Gina Loes

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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Hollow Twin EP Release @ Hindenburg -- 04/26/15

It was a pretty solid lineup set for Hollow Twin's EP release. Formerly knows as Chatterton Eve, Emmalee Watts and Becky Wosk recently decided to get away from the folk-duo sound and put together a full band, with more of a soulful sound.
Admittedly, I was there as much (if not more) to see the openers, but I had heard a few songs from the new EP and was interested to check Hollow Twin out. Plus, I wanted to check out another show at The Hindenburg, which I am really liking as a venue (well, except for their use of blacklights... that I could do without).


Starting everything off at 9 sharp was The Ruffled Feathers. I hadn't seen the Vancouver six-piece in a few months, so I was looking forward to the set as they kicked off with the grandiose yet catchy "Home" from their first EP Lost Cities. They went on from there playing a set of songs old and new; "Our Beautiful House" off of Oracles made me wish I had a glass of whiskey in hand, and a newer song "Strange Dream" featured bass player Paolo Brian taking over vocals a little.
But most of the vocals throughout the night came from Gina Loes, who also swapped from guitar to ukulele a few times. Her charming voice powered the chamber-pop sound, as the band bubbled over with a fun energy that drew the growing crowd to the stage and got people, if not dancing, then at least tapping their feet.
They wrapped up with a couple of my favourites of the set, an adorable song called "It's All Right, You Can Kiss Me In The Moonlight" which featured a great violin solo from Molly MacKinnon, and the explosive, "Blueprints For Our Failed Revolution".


Next up on the night was a band that I have liked more and more each time I've seen them play, The Wild Romantics. Up until recently I had only seen them as the duo of Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller, and I liked them okay. But last month, they were opening for Shred Kelly, with a full band, and I was really impressed.
Alisha and Evan's great harmonies were still on display, evidenced by songs like "A Monday In May" or "Memphis, TN", as the couple shared the mic a few times throughout the night with an intimacy. But as a full five piece, the band is much more rocking. And the set just built in energy and intensity as they went on, with a couple highlights being the sharp and biting "Who You Fooling" which had Evan jump into the crowd to sing with some people (those willing, anyway), and a badass rocker called "Fist Fight", that featured an almost literal guitar duel between Evan and their guitar player Rory Froese.
The couple just moved to Vancouver from the island and put the band together a few months ago, and I am looking forward to see what is next for them.


And finally, wrapping up the night was the band of the night, Hollow Twin. They played kind of a short set, with songs from on their new EP Keepers (of course) but also their debut EP before that, Noctuary. Kicking off with "Live A Little", Becky's voice fuelled the sultry jams that filled the next half hour, with songs like the soaring "Finders Keepers".
A bit of technical difficulties part way through the set slowed the momentum a little, but they got it right back on track soon after with a more upbeat, dancey song called "What I Wanted", and they drew the night to a close -- not bothering with the whole encore thing -- with "Lighthouse", the final song off the new EP.

The band put on a fine set, but unfortunately I think they fell victim so something I have seen before: stacking their album release with bands so good, that they were a little overshadowed by the end of the night.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Seventy Four: "Just a Podcast"

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best Toronto bands. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Mondegreens.

This week I spent more time watching Daredevil on Netflix than I did podcast planning, so for the first time ever there is no theme! It's just a few songs that I am really digging at the moment, the Top Six Songs of the Right Now!

Check out:

"Let's All Stay In Tonight" by Blimp Rock
"A Monday in May" by The Wild Romantics
"Pretend" by Gina Loes
"Apocalypse" by Moon King
"Position Open" by Limblifter
"Miniskirt" by Braids

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Sixty Eight: Places

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best song endings, but some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs That Are Exactly Five Minutes and Three Seconds Long. 

This week we're going travelling! Kind of. Sort of. Not really. What I mean is, it's the Top Six Songs With Places in the Title!

Let's go to:

"Siberian Springtime" by The Ruffled Feathers
"Montreal" by Towers and Trees

"End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story" by The Dears

"Vulcan, AB" by The Rural Alberta Advantage
"Paris" by Scenic Route to Alaska
"New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" by LCD Soundsystem

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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The Ruffled Feathers EP Release Show @ Red Room -- 06/28/14

It's been a while since I saw Vancouver's Ruffled Feathers live; so long, in fact, that they've undergone a bit of a lineup change. But they hit the Red Room to celebrate the release of their new EP, Bottom of the Blue, the last album recorded with the previous lineup.

Leading off the night was Chersea, who regular readers (all 24 of you) will remember as one of my favourite new discoveries of the year so far. On stage alone behind a fortress of instruments, Chersea builds her songs by looping keys, synth, drum pad, guitar, trumpet, even a metal water bottle for percussion. Songs ranged from electro-pop of "I Could Lose It All" to the darker and sexier "Grey Matter" to even a little tropical flavour for "Mind Porn", and while the half-hour set had a few technical glitches, they didn't detract from the overall enjoyment.

Next up was Rebel on a Mountain, a pretty basic folk-rock band. They had a trumpet in lieu of the requisite banjo, and maybe a little bit of a 90s-alt rock influence mixed in, as well as a good enthusiasm on stage -- one member telling corny jokes between songs -- but in the end were just not interesting enough to stand apart from the rest.

And finally, it was The Ruffled Feathers time to shine. Their set also had a few small technical problems, buzzing & popping cords, as well as a faint hum on and off through the set, and a couple times Gina Loes' lovely voice seemed a little too low in the mix. But again, it wasn't enough to hurt the set as they starting off with the lush "It Doesn't Last", the lead sing from the new EP.
The entire band was bubbling over with energy, and their chamber-pop sound was bolstered by their unique instrumentation. The interplay between Andrew Lee's trumpet and Molly MacKinnon's violin was interesting -- the unusual combination complimenting each other quite well -- and Andrew's backing vocals contrasted with Gina's nicely.
The hour-long set spanned their three albums, and even hinted some new stuff with a song that was either named "Boned" or "Beaune". Other highlights included "Tough Love", with Gina on the ukulele and swelled to a grand ending, as well as the jubilant "Home" and the final song of the main set "Kiss Me In The Moonlight", Andrew aptly introducing it as "one of the cutest songs you will hear all day".
But of course, they were back for the obligatory encore and wrapped up for real with the gigantic "Blueprints For Our Failed Revolution" ending the set with a bang.

The Ruffled Feathers have always been really fun live band, and I'm glad the new lineup reflected that.

setlist
It Doesn't Last, All My Cities, Home, Tough Love, New Song [Boned or Beaune], Buffalo, Siberian Springtime, Caravan, Little Sister, Kiss Me In The Moonlight.
(encore) Your Embrace, Blueprints For Our Failed Revolution.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Thirty Eight: Gritty Western

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general like best movie themes. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs over 20 minutes long.

Now, if you’ve been paying attention, this whole podcast has more or less been about soundtracking your life. Perfect songs for the specific moment. Driving at dusk or making a blanket fort or beachcombing. And this week, I am going to take that to its logical conclusion with the Top Six Songs That I Would Use If I Were Making a Gritty Western!

This week's tunes:

"Monster" by Skye Wallace
"Rosin and Horsehair" by The Ruffled Feathers
"Demon" by Kandle
"Wild Fucking West" by Miss Quincy & The Showdown
"Don't Make 'em Like They Used To" by The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer
"Two Against One (f. Jack White)" by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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The Ruffled Feathers w/ Julia McDougall @ Biltmore -- 03/07/13

It seems like it's been quite some time since I've seen either The Ruffled Feathers or Julia McDougall perform live, so it was nice that they 

Unfortunately I missed the first band of the night, Oldfolks Home, arriving shortly before Regina's Julia McDougall hit the stage. Julia formerly performed under the name Julia & Her Piano, so it was appropriate that it was just her & a piano on stage, with her smooth voice and folk-pop songs drawing the crowd up to sit on the floor at the front of the stage.

Aside from a collection of catchy songs, what really made her stand out was her sense of humour. She chatted with the crowd between songs, telling stories behind songs or just random non-sequiturs, with her banter being little goofy and awkward, but at the same time very charming and hilarious.

Highlights from the set included a couple tracks from her latest EP, I Don't Really Care; the beautiful title track, and "Married", which had Ruffled Feather Andrew Lee on stage to join her for backup vocals. Andrew and Julia have a history of performing together, which mostly consists of Julia doing her best to embarrass Andrew on stage. (She succeeded)

Julia is a fun performer to watch live, and I hope she's back again soon.

There was a fairly quick turnaround and it wasn't long before The Ruffled Feathers was up, easing into their set with "Your Embrace", starting soft and quiet before ramping up into a lush ending, a trait that is shared in many of their songs. 

Their rich, chamber-pop sound is driven by the sweet voice of guitarist Gina Loes on vocals, with trumpetite Andrew Lee and Charley Wu -- on mandolin and keyboard -- also contributing, with songs that aren't afraid to weave into other genres. "Lead Me To Destruction", which featured Charley on vocals, starting with a bit of a 50's do-wop vibe before erupting with energy, and one of the new songs they teased, called "Tough Love", had a bit of a jazzy edgy to it.

The main set came to an end with "Home", though as the guys walked off stage, Gina stayed, a little coy about the whole encore concept, and the rest of the band came back for the jubilant "Blueprints For Our Failed Revolution". They ended the night with not only the crowd to sing along, but shakers being passed out and the band marching into the crowd -- drummer Sam MacKinnon with a marching drum, Charley on accordion, and Gina with a megaphone -- for a short dance party before finishing off on stage. 

The whole band is bubbling over with energy, and that definitely comes through in their live show and infects the crowd. They played a couple and hinted at a new EP in the works, so hopefully we'll hear more from them soon. 

Steam Whistle Unsigned w/ Treelines, The Ruffled Feathers & Sidney York @ Biltmore -- 01/26/12

For a while now, the Toronto microbrewery Steam Whistle has been hosting its Unsigned events in various Canadian cities, and now it's finally come to Vancouver. Each concert in the series features three Canadian artists with all of the ticket sales going back to the arts community; in this case to Music BC. And the three acts chosen to launch the series in Vancouver? Well, three favourites around these parts.

First up was Sidney York, who I've seen a few times in the last little while and each time the whole band, but especially "Sidney York" herself Brandi Sidoryk, seems to have more and more pure energy, to match their insanely catchy indie pop. Hardly contained behind the keyboard, she was out to the front of the stage a few times, to get the packed crowd into it, leading sing along to "Roll With Me" and later getting everyone clapping and singing (and likely whistling) along to "Dick & Jane". Brandi also broke out the ukulele and french horn at times, and combined with Sheryl Reindhardt and Krista Wodelet on oboe and bassoon, respectively, the unusual instruments gave the insanely catchy indie pop a touch of eclectic depth. They also threw in a cover in the middle of the set, a really cool version of Savage Garden's "I Want You", and brought the set to an end with my favourite, "Mile High Love", which somehow managed to top the energy of the entire set.

The Ruffled Feathers were up next, with their grand, chamber pop sound. They're new album Oracles is due soon (spoiler: it's good), and their set consisted mostly of songs off that, with the bulk of the vocals handled by Gina Loes, who also played guitar, and trumpetite Andrew Lee and Charley Wu -- mandolin & keyboard -- also contributing. The whole band has a very bubbly and upbeat stage presence, with their sense of sheer joy spreading through the crowd, definitely helped by Gina's adorableness.
Highlights of the set were the ear-worm-y "Blueprints for Our Failed Revolution" and "Home", and definitely "Lead Me To Destruction", which started a little 50s do-wop, with Charley Wu taking over lead vocals -- backed by Gina and Andrew -- before building to a chaotic breakdown and explosive climax.
They ended the set with the mood brought down a bit, and Lee urging everyone to slow dance (and/or make out) for the slow and romantic closer. They are another band that just keep getting better, and more polished, every time I see them, and this was the best yet.

And finally, rounding out the night was Treelines, and even though they hit the stage at nearly midnight (on a school night, no less) their straight up high energy rock had the crowd still into it. With a set ranging from the new EP, back to their self-titled debut, they burst forth right off the bat with "Summer Song" and hardly took their collective foots off the gas through the set; even during the slower songs, like the title track from their newest EP, Courage, which builds to a soaring chorus. Another highlight was the very Canadian, and very catchy, "Ode to the Prairies" which ended the main set before they were back for one more song. Orinially planning on "When I Get Grown", they spontaneously decided on the title track from their Young Man EP thanks to a request called from the crowd, with Matt Lockhart making sure everyone was ready to help out on vocals, since his voice was going (there were a couple tell-tale cracks near the end of the set). And the crowd definitely complied, commandeering the microphone for the chorus of whoa-oh-oh-oh-ooh's to end off the night.

As always, Treelines is a tremendously fun band to watch live, with all four members having an unbridled energy and enthusiasm on stage. And all in all, it was a fantastic way to kick of Vancouver's Unsigned series, with three bands that all had different sounds, but meshed really well together. I can't wait until the next one, and if it's even half as good as this, it'll still be a hell of a show.

setlists

Sidney York
Tea As It Should Be, Roll With Me, Math & Fractions, Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, Cold In Here, I Want You [Savage Garden cover], Dick & Jane, Doctor Doctor, Mile High Love.

The Ruffled Feathers
Canals of Suzhou, All My Cities, Home, Our Beautiful Hearts, Mockingbird, Lead Me To Destruction, Paloma, Blueprints for Our Failed Revolution, Your Embrace.

Treelines 
Summer Song, The Vancouver Song, Birds, Burned Up Hands, Statuette, Ghost Towns, Linked Arms, Courage, Cowboys, Ode to the Prairies. encore) Young Man.

Amplify! MDD Fundraiser w/ The Belle Game, Ruffled Feathers & Sidney York @ Railway -- 10/20/11

With Media Democracy Days coming up soon, it was time for the annual fundraiser show at the Railway. This year it featured a trio of great acts, fronted by lovely ladies, and even though the sound at the Railway was unusually wonky a couple times throughout the night (the sound guy showed up late, which could be a contributing factor) it was still a hell of a night of local music.

First up was Sidney York, with a set similar to the one she played last week. But even though it was familiar, it was no less fun. With six members packed on to the small Railway stage (a theme for the night), there wasn't as much room for moving around, but the whole band was brimming with energy.  The crowd was into it, too, clapping along for a few songs, including "Roll With Me" and the insanely catchy "Dick & Jane", and shouting & dancing along to "Mile High Love", which closed the set. Even when they toned things down for the heartfelt "Go Home, Atticus Jones", they were still captivating. As mentioned above, there were a couple hiccups in sound, but still a fantastically enjoyable set, and just added more reason for Sidney York being one of my favourite new artists this year.

The Ruffled Feathers were up next, who have been getting better and better with each time I've seen them. They started off starting of with "Home" kicking off a really fun set of their high energy chamber pop.
While Gina Loes handled most of the lead vocals, there were a couple songs where they traded off to other members; for "Lead Me to Destruction" Charley Wu took care of vocals and Andrew Lee handled them on "Rosin and Horsehair", which also saw Wu playing his mandolin with a bow. Both songs had their own uniqueness without betraying the overall sound of the band -- Wu's had a bit of a 50's vibe while Lee's had an almost spaghetti-western feel to it. They weren't the only ones, though, as throughout the set each member of the band got their own moment to shine.
Another highlight of the set was their latest single, "Blueprints for a Failed Revolution" from their forthcoming album Oracles. And if their set was any indication, is going to be a good one, which I am eagerly anticipating.

And wrapping up the night was The Belle Game, who kicked off with "Bloom" from their just-released EP, which started soft but swelled to a grand climax, setting the stage for their layered sound. They were occasionally joined by Andrew Lee on trumpet, doing double duty for the night (one day there will be a show where he plays in each band, mark my words).
Much like the bands before them, they two had a great energy and stage presence, even with a packed stage. Highlights of the set were the awesomely-titled "I Wish You Weren't Like A Dead Lover (Sometimes)", building up to a smashing ending, with singer Andrea Lo and guitarist Alex Andrews going nuts on a floor tom, and "Shoulders & Turns", where they urged people to get cozy and dance. They wrapped up the set with "Sleep to Grow", which had Adam Nanji taking his guitar into the crowd, and were called back for what may have been an actual legitimate encore of one final song. 

On any given night, any one of these three bands would have stolen the show and been well worth seeing on their own, and seeing them all together made for a grand show.

Shows of October

Well, I did this last month, so let's try it again, shall we? Here are some of the shows I am excited about in the month of October. It's a pretty stacked month, with lots of great shows announced so far (with a few conflicting ones, too).

Big Sugar with Wide Mouth Mason at the Commodore on October 21st & 22nd.
Top of the list would have to be this show, no question. I was at the Commodore eight years ago for what was, at the time, Big Sugar's final Vancouver show and it was phenomenal. I was thrilled when they got back together, and when they announced Wide Mouth Mason -- who Gordie Johnson now plays bass with -- would be opening? well, their show at the Yale in January has probably been one of my favourite shows of the year, so that's just extra added awesome.

Chad VanGaalen at the Rio Theatre on October 15th
Even though Pop Okanagan is happening this same weekend, I am pretty sure seeing CVG live trumps an entire festival. It will be two years to the day (and, in fact, at the same venue) since I last saw him, which is far too long. (Accompanied video not mine, was taken from the last show, with Julie Fader on keys)

Kathryn Calder at the Biltmore on October 27th
Even though I've seen her a couple times this year, Calder is always incredible live. Her new album is out soon, and I am very much looking forward to seeing her live again.

Dominique Fricot with Sidney York at the Electric Owl on October 14th
Ten and a half months. That's all it took between seeing him at One Night Stand and finally seeing him perform his own material. Which is inexcusable. And of course, there's Sidney. The only time I've seen her was at a venue with sub-par sound, so I am very excited to see her somewhere that will sound good.

And the conflicts? That lies with the aforementioned Big Sugar/WMM show as well as:
Sidney York with The Ruffled Feathers & The Belle Game at the Railway on October 20th.
Zeus at the Biltmore on October 21st
The Zolas & The Liptonians on October 20th at the Electric Owl and October 24nd at St James Hall
So. There's all that. Zeus is a fantastic live band who haven't been here since the (incredible) Bonfire Ball tour. The Liptonians blew me away live earlier this year, and pairing them with The Zolas is perfect. And the show at the Railway has just an excellent lineup. There could be a way to see all the shows, but it might be tough!

Oh, and there's the last Peak Performance Project showcase with Maurice, Lindsay Bryan, 41st & Home and Rococode on the 6th at the Red Room well as Danny Michel with Jody Glenham at the Biltmore on the 13th, which should be fun, and of course, the Foo Fighters at Rogers Arena on the 25th. But as much as I love the Foos, and as great a live show as they put on, I have a feeling I won't be able to make this show unless I somehow get press, or win tickets...

Whew. That's a lot of shows.

Ruffled Feathers @ Biltmore -- 08/13/11

It was a bit of a busy night in music, and so I ended up catching a couple of shows. First was off to the Biltmore for an early one, and then late starter at Backstage Lounge.

I got there a little late, so only caught the tail end of Mercy Years. It was their first show, and they had a pretty catchy indie-pop-rock thing going, with boy/girl vocals. Nothing groundbreaking -- the whole time they reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it -- but still pretty fun. Their last song was definitely the best of what I heard, ending with big group vocals. It was their first show, and they sounded pretty good for it, so I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Next up was Rags to Radio, who had a bit more of a garage sound. They had a good energy, but a lot of the songs sounded pretty much the same – especially at the beginning of the set; even their cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" sounded pretty similar. They also had more than their fair share of "whoa-oh's" in lieu of actual lyrics, which was a little distracting.
But that being said, with things like a cowbell-conga-line going through the crowd you could tell they were having fun, and I really liked the last song -- which had more of a brass and drums, big band/swing style -- so that showed me they had potential, but they definitely need work, musically.

Closing out the night at the Biltmore was The Ruffled Feathers, who just keep getting better each time I see them. Fresh back from Oregon where they recorded their new album, they were as tight as ever with their incredibly infection chamber pop and each member (be they in a shirt and tie, fancy dress or tank top) overflowing with enthusiasm and joy, and that definitely seeped into the crowd.
Kicking off the set with "Blueprints for a Failed Revolution", the bulk of the set had Gina Loews on guitar (or ukulele) & main vocals, backed by trupeteer Andrew Lee & Charley Wu, on keys and mandolin. But the two of them also had their turn on vocals, and Gina swapped with bassist Matty Jeronimo for the last song, highlighting the band's diversity.
They showed off their new songs -- my favourite of which was one that may or may not be named "Trick of the Light" -- as well as covering Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' "Home", after their own "Home", complete with their own modified dialogue in the middle between Gina and Charley.

It was a really fun show, and I can't wait until the new album is out -- and speaking of which, in case you missed my post about it, the band has a Kickstarter Project going to raise the money to get their album professionally mixed. They're a little over half way to their goal, but they only get the money if they reach that goal, so if you have an extra few bucks, why not help out?

But it was only 11 when they ended and the night was not done yet, as it was off to the Backstage Lounge next... (post coming later this evening)

Help The Ruffled Feathers.

The Ruffled Feathers need your help. The Vancouver band recently went down to Oregon to record their new album, Oracles, and now that they're back, they need a little bit in the way of financial support.
Most of the aspects about the album -- the recording, mastering, CD printing, and artwork -- are being funded by the band themselves, from previous album sales and shows. But they need help in one key element: the mixing.

In order to get the album professionally mixed, they've started a Kickstarter Project where you can donate as much as you'd like to help them out. And like PBS, they are also giving away various levels of goodies for donating. From an early digital download of the album to your name in the liner notes to a commissioned song and more, they're asking for donations from as little as a dollar in the next month to help reach their goal of $3,500.

So head on over here and throw them a buck or two. Or ten. Or fifty.
They'll also be at the Biltmore this Saturday, if you want to check them out live. I can't speak for the band, but I am pretty confident in saying Andrew Lee will hug each and every person that shows up.

Steph Macpherson with Mike Edel and The Ruffled Feathers @ The Railway -- 06/22/11

Even though I've seen Steph Macpherson a few times this year, it's always been opening for someone else. So when her co-headlining tour with Mike Edel stopped at the Railway, I was excited. And add Ruffled Feathers to the mix, and you got yourself a show.

Up first was The Ruffled Feathers, with their rich chamber-pop sound and usual assortment of instruments, from slide trumpet to ukulele, megaphone to mandolin -- which was at one point played with a bow! I have had the chance to see them a couple times this year already, and the have been improving each time. The songs, and each member of the band, were brimming with energy.
Most of the set had (the adorable) Gina Loes on vocals, but there were a lot of group vocals, as well as other members, Andrew Lee and Charley Wu (both only slightly less adorable) taking over from time to time. They ended the set with their new one, “Blueprints for a Failed Revolution” and and older one I didn't catch the name of, but started slow and soft and built to a great big ending.

Victoria's Mike Edel was up next, and he had an upbeat and energetic folk rock vibe going. His voice, at times, reminded me of both Colin Meloy or Marcus Mumford, or a bizarre cross between the two, but didn't sound like a copy of either. He had a good mix of faster, upbeat songs mixed with a few slower ones, and part way through the set, he broke out a Gretsch White Falcon, which is a guitar I want, even though I don't, and probably never will play. He also brought out another secret weapon near the end, Steph Macpherson for backup vocals on a song, and getting the crowd to join in as well.
His set did seem to go on a bit long, though. While the set was enjoyable, it definitely dragged on a little toward the end.

And rounding out the night was Steph Macpherson, whose band included Edel on guitar and Savannah from Redbird providing backup vocals. Her set had a good mix of older songs – the emotional “Letters” was a highlight -- and new. The new ones sounded really good, especially the last two; the first I didn't catch the name of, but was quite good, and the final song of the night, Steph's entry in the Shore104 Song Search Competition, was “Summer Salute” which is a fantastic song, very upbeat and insanely catchy ; definitely my favourite of the night and a great song to end the show – and start the summer – with.
(In fact I decided then and there that it would be my “summer jam” of this year).

Hey Marseilles w/ Ruffled Feathers and Henry & The Nightcrawlers @ Biltmore -- 02/10/11

It's always kind of odd going to a show where you are looking forward to the opener more than the headliner. I think for this one, the order of the lineup was the opposite of who I wanted to see most. Henry is always great to see live; after seeing them last month at the Media Club, I was interested in seeing The Ruffled Feathers again; and I had never even heard anything from Hey Marseilles.

Up first was Henry and the Nightcrawlers, and it's always fun to see who Henry has on stage with him. Last night was Tom & Zach from The Zolas, on keys & bass and Andy of We Are The City on the drums. The first few songs of the set were plagued by crackling speakers -- which, in all my time going to the Biltmore, this is only the second time I can remember audio problems -- but they were corrected a few songs in. The pause while fixing was a bit of a momentum killer, but they managed to get that, and the crowds attention, back soon enough, especially with the always incredible ending of "On A Week Night".
Aside from the usual songs off the debut album, there was also a new one which sounded pretty good, and the set closed with an extended ending on "100 Blows", which had each member of the band just go nuts for a great climax.

The Ruffled Feathers were up next, with a wide assortment of instruments, from the slide trumpet to the mandolin. As I mentioned last time I saw them, they are a very fun band to watch live. Not only is the music itself bubbling over with energy, but each and every member looks like they are having a ton of fun on stage. They had a good portion of the crowd up front dancing along, too. Near the end of the set they announced they were going to play their song "Home", followed by a different "Home". Turns out it was Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes (see a decent-quality cellphone video here), and a pretty fun cover, aside from a brief unplugging mishap. They ended the show with one of the members go into the crowd with a megaphone, and all the members lining the front of the stage -- even the drummer, with a snare.
 

Finally was Hey Marseilles. They started off with a maritimey sound, before pretty much channelling The Decemberists. I love The Decemberists, so I still liked the set well enough, but it was almost distracting how much they sounded like them. There was a stage full of people with strings and horns, but most damning of all was the lead singer, who both sounded like, and had the same cadence as, Colin Meloy. Even the lyrics were rather Meloyesque, just without being as verbose.
There were a couple songs, most notably the last of the night, that sounded a bit more like the band was branching out into their own sound -- though still very maritime-folk -- that were quite good, but for the most part, I couldn't get past the heavy influence (to put it nicely) of The Decemberists.

Even with those complaints, though, it was still a fun night of music.

The Ruffled Feathers w/ Julia and Her Piano, Katie Schaan & Thomas Kolb @ Media Club -- 01/06/11

One good way to kick off the year, music-wise, is three nights of great local(ish) talent in a row. Night two had some acts who were all friends with each other, which always adds a nice touch to shows.

First up was Thom Kolb of 41st & Home playing a solo set. He mentioned it was his first time doing so, and only seemed a little nervous at first, getting more relaxed as he went. Playing all original material, except for one 41st & Home song, he had a bit more of a country twang to them, even breaking out the banjo for a song. I was somewhat surprised by the tone of the songs, but they ended up being quite good. The other difference between 41stThom and soloThom was he was quite a bit more chatty, telling stories behind the songs, or sometimes just completely random, but usually amusing.
The set also included his first time use of a looping pedal, which he successfully pulled off, and ended by getting a good number of the musicians playing later to come on stage with him to help on backing vocals for a song about Steveston*
*fun (and absolutely true) fact: Steveston was once known as Salmonopolis. Why they changed it, I can't say.

Katie Schaan was up next, starting with a really cool song that consisted solely of her singing over looped clapping and "ooh"s, no instruments. It definitely highlighted her incredible voice, that just seemed to effortlessly flow out of her.
Starting on keys, she gradually moved to guitar and ukulele, her set included a cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", with Thom backing her up, a version of her "Last Night" song from the Peak Performance Project bootcamp (she was there as part of Steph Macpherson's band), and then ended when she called all of her friends in the crowd to come right to the front so she could serenade them with her final song.
There was also one point where she called out a certain blog for writing that all her songs were written about boys & crushes -- which, to be fair, she pretty much admitted at the time -- and went on to play a song that was decidedly NOT about any of that. (I think I got, as they say, "served")
Perhaps it was due to a bit better of a venue, but I enjoyed her set even more than the last time I saw her, so here's hoping she is back from the island soon enough.

Much like Schaan, last time I saw Julia & Her Piano it was at a chatty café (in fact, the same café, just different times), and I mentioned wanting to see her in a better setting, so her being third up was nice. It was just, as the name implies, Julia McDougall on stage behind a piano, with her smooth voice and catchy folk-pop songs grabbing the attention of the [strangely] seated crowd. She was also incredibly vivacious, with a kind of dorky charm (which I say in an absolutely positive way), joking around between songs and being just generally full of energy. Even when she messed up a song a little, she rolled with it, joked about it, instead of letting it get to her.
The set ended with a song that usually included a trumpet solo from Ruffled Feather's Andrew Lee, but he was not on stage, so she improvised something... which mostly consisted of mocking and embarrassing Lee, who was sitting right by the stage.

Finally, closing out the night was Ruffled Feathers, which included the aforementioned Andrew Lee, formerly of the aforementioned 41st & Home. They had a very upbeat and poppy sound, incorporating instruments like the trumpet and mandolin (how can you not love a mandolin?). The set was also pretty fun to watch, with members using a megaphone, a couple coming through the crowd, and a few small bubble wands being handed out to people in the front. Aside from a couple giveaways -- a draw for t-shirts and throwing paper airplanes with a download code for their EP -- there wasn't too much banter/talking between songs, but they had enthusiasm to spare while playing.
Most of the set consisted of the more high energy songs, but there were a few slower, more relaxed ones as well, as well as the requisite dance-with-that-special-someone song (introduced as such, even). They seemed to imply that were written by various members, and while there wasn't a vast difference between songs, there were definitely a few that stood out more than others, and that could be the reason.

In all, it was another fun night in local(ish) music, and while all four acts of the night put on good sets, I think ultimately, Julia and Her Piano kind of stole the show.