Gay Nineties album release @ Fox Cabaret -- 02/26/15

Though they released their Liberal Guilt EP at the end of last month, Gay Nineties took to the Fox Cabaret Thursday night to celebrate with the official record release show.
And, strangely enough, of the three shows I've seen at the Fox Cabaret since it opened last year, two of then have been Gay Nineties.

Local boys JPNSGRLS ("Japanese Girls", as opposed to, say, "Japan's Grills") opened up the night, as they started the set with a Goonies reference, the lead singer yelling "Hey you guys!" before launching into a set worth of hard, fast, and raw indie rock. .
Singer Charlie Kerr hardly stood still for a minute, bouncing around stage, miming the lyrics, and even holding the mic stand upside down; he had energy and enthusiasm to spare, and more than once had the fans at the front of the stage singing along. Highlights from the set included the frantic "Smalls" and a song dedicated to sci fi nerds "A Girl From A Different Dimension".
They also did something that I'm not necessarily a fan of, the opening band encore. After they finished up with "Brandon", there were a few calls for an encore and the band came back out to play one last song -- to their credit, though they did ask if there was time, and there was plenty.


Then, after a little too long of a break while DJ Owen Ellis spun, the lights dimmed and the sound of wind chimes filled the cabaret while Gay Nineties took to the stage. They started, appropriately enough, with the first track of the EP, the building intensity of "Intro" exploding into their current single, "Hold Your Fire". Going through the entire EP over the course of the night, weaving older songs in as well, the band showed off their sound that is a distillation of a few decades and genres, that blended together well without ever feeling derivative; hook-filled rockers like "Hold Your Fire", the slightly sleazy "Turn Me On", the groovy hip shaking "Good Times", and the soulful harmonies of "Tangled" all came together for a fun set.
The entire band was on point, especially Malcolm Holt's drumming -- including tossing his drumstick high in the air and catching it literally without missing a beat several times throughout the set -- but especially Parker Bossley, who has an effortless confidence and presence on stage. As they ended the set with the ridiculously catchy "Letterman", Parker lead the crowd in a call-and-response, perched on the edge of the stage, sharing the microphone with fans along the front.
And of course they were back for more, one last song, a rockin' cover of David Bowie's "China Girl", dedicating it to JPNSGRLS.


It's almost hard to believe that Liberal Guilt is only Gay Nineties' second EP; they are still a relatively young band that hasn't even released a full length album, but they've already come out swinging. And judging by the show, I doubt they have any intention of slowing down.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Sixty Seven: Opening Riffs

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 French songs, but some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Interconnected Bands. 

This week we take a look listen at some songs that grab you right away, with the Top Six Opening Riffs!

Kick into gear with:

"One Big Holiday" by My Morning Jacket
"Gold Guns Girls" by Metric
"3000 Flowers" by Destroyer
"I Love Not Loving You" by Wide Mouth Mason
"Rock Ranger Record" by Matt Mays + El Torpedo
"Hold Your Fire" by Gay Nineties

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

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Bend Sinister & Gay Nineties @ Imperial -- 12/27/14

Just when you were getting sick of holiday parties, along comes "Relax, It's Not Another Christmas Party, Party!" A trio of Vancouver favourites teamed up for a show to benefit the Blanket BC Society for one last show of the year (in my calendar, anyway).

And it was a show that I was especially excited for, as not only are Bend Sinister one of the first "Vancouver Indie" bands I really got into years ago, but Gay Nineties are also one of my favourite [relatively] newer local bands.


Unfortunately I missed the first band of the night, The Tourist Company, who recently placed third in the Peak Performance Project (in fact, all three band this night had gone through the competition), getting there shortly before Gay Nineties hit the stage.

They were teasing their new EP, Liberal Guilt, which is out in a couple of weeks (but was on the merch table for people to pick up early) and started off with the appropriately named first track, "Intro", a slow burning build that burst into "Hold Your Fire".
The set ranged from sultry slow jams to high energy rockers; from the "shoop shoops" of "Good Times" to the driving pulse of "Turn Me On", they blended sounds from the last six or seven decades, but never in a way that felt derivative. Their sound is both familiar and fresh, taking those older influences and creating something new and interesting. The entire band also has a great stage presence, but especially frontman Parker Bossley, who has an effortless charm, looking like he would be ready to rock venues of every size.
Aside from their own songs, they slipped in their usual cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl" and the set drew to a close in the most explosive way, a psychedelic segue into their smash hit "Letterman".


Bend Sinister was out not long after, starting off with the aptly named "Thunder and Lightning" before launching into the incendiary "Hot Blooded Man" for a set that spanned just about their entire career. From their self titled 2007 EP to this year's new album and everything in between, songs ranged from the comparatively soft and slow "Through The Week" to the uplifting anthem "Things Will Get Better" to the absolutely balls-out rockers "Teacher".
Dan Moxon's voice went from raw intensity to soaring bursts as he pounded away on the keyboard with a huge energy, and the rest of the band were no slouches either. Especially Matt Rhode, who is one of the most fun bass players to watch live, the complete opposite of the cliché "bored bass face".

Part way through the set they brought out special guest Kristy-Lee Audette on trumpet to help with a few songs from the new album Animals, including the jaunty and ridiculously catchy "Fancy Pants", and my favourite from the new album, "I Got Love" a furious and almost gospel-esque song featuring a phenomenal breakdown. Other highlights included the haunting "Black Magic Woman", and an old favourite "Time Breaks Down".

The main set came to a close with the first track off Animals, the eight minute long "Best Of You" which twists and turns that pretty much encapsulates every aspect of their sound. And of course they were back out for an encore, the low-tempo "Don't Let Us Bring You Down" and then finally ending the night by inviting everyone from Gay Nineties and Kristy back on stage for a fun cover of Dan's favourite piano man, Elton John's Bennie and the Jets.

I always love when bands do that, end the night by inviting everyone back on stage for a cover that everyone can play or sing along to. It just makes the show seem more fun.


My only minor quibble with the set was that there were a couple times where the backing vocals felt a bit too loud, the harmonies overpowering  Dan's main vocals, but that wasn't nearly enough to ruin a fantastic set. Bend Sinister puts on such an amazing and high energy show, and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing them leave it all on stage.
Combined with a great set from Gay Nineties, who I like more and more every time I see them, and it was a pretty strong musical ending to the year.


setlist
Thunder and Lightning, Hot Blooded Man, Don't You Know, Man of Faith and Virtue, We Know Better, Fancy Pants, I Got Love, Better Things To Do, Teacher, Black Magic Woman, Through The Week, It Will Never End, Things Will Get Better, Time Breaks Down, Best of You. 
(encore) Don't Let Us Bring You Down, Bennie & The Jets [Elton John cover].

3am Mixtapes: Episode Forty Two: Peak Performance Project

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 like best guitar solos. Some might be a little more... specific. Top six song titles that are questions?

Since this week The Peak and Music BC announced the new batch of bands for their battle of the bands, I thought this week we'd take a look at some of my previous favourites, the Top Six Peak Performance Project Bands!

With tunage from:

"I Got Love" by Bend Sinister
"Reaction" by Acres of Lions
"Little Wars (Causing Your Trouble)" by The Belle Game
"Letterman" by The Gay Nineties
"Stoke it Up" by Willhorse
"Joanne" by Altered By Mom

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

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Gay Nineties @ Fox Cabaret -- 04/18/14

Vancouver's historic Fox Theatre (up until recently more known for showing films of the adult variety) has recently undergone renovations and reopened as the Fox Cabaret, touting live music every weekend.
They've had a few shows there so far, but this was the first chance I had to see one there, and it was a pretty nice venue; a welcome addition to the city.
Though I will say, in a very aggravating turn of events, despite the advertised "Doors 8, Show 9" the first band did not go on until just after 10:30. I know Vancouver is not a punctual city, especially for shows, but having the show start an hour and a half after the listed time is ridiculous.

But I digress. After a couple of hours of DJs Owen Ellis and Louise Burns spinning vinyl, James Younger took the stage. Formerly in the Vancouver group Sun Wizard, when they disbanded, he struck out on his own (as well as playing backup in The Zolas).
Younger's sound had a throwback feeling to it, definitely influenced by the 70s. Songs like the bouncy "Sleeping Alone" had a high energy and upbeat rock, getting the crowd moving.
There was nothing about the set that made me dislike it, but not much that made it particularly stand out either. Younger and his bandmates -- which included Andy Bishop, who plays in about 37% of all Vancouver bands -- were all unarguably strong musicians, but there wasn't much variety to the songs. It was Perfectly Acceptable Music, and a good opening act.

After a fairly short turnaround, it was time for Gay Nineties. The band took advantage of the old movie screen behind them, projecting things from flat colours and patters, to scenes from the gay 90's (the 1890s, that is) and other animations.
They opened with a softer song, building into the rocking "Hold Your Fire", taken from their new album they are currently working on. With charismatic frontman Parker Bossley clad in a golden chainmail shirt, the set ranged from sultry slow jams to high energy rockers, blending hints of 60s psych-rock, 90s grunge, and 00s dance-rock. They even slipped in a cover of an Ambrosia song.

One incredibly danceable song was introduced with Bossley asking people to slow dance like they were in middle school, and their current explosive single "Letterman" got a huge response.

They wrapped up the set with slow-burner, starting calm and erupting to a big finish, but of course they were back for the obligatory encore, inviting up James Younger for a pretty solid cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl".

The Gay Nineties burst onto the scene a couple years ago in the Peak Performance Project, and they have been on an upward trajectory ever since. Every time I see them play, they get better and tighter, and I am definitely interested to see what they have up their collective sleeves for the new album.

Sidney York @ Biltmore -- 01/07/14

I would be very surprised if 2014 does not end up being a big year for Calgary's Sidney York. The duo is on the verge of releasing their new album, <3s (or Hearts) and kicked off their tour in their second home, Vancouver, at the Biltmore Cabaret.
But their new album is coming out in a unique way; instead of a traditional release, they are rolling out the album in five volumes, two songs each, released over ten months. "Subscribers" will get the album delivered to their door (and/or digitally) as well as other goodies, like prints depending on their subscription level. You can check all of that out right here.


Opening the night was Seattle's Lemolo, with a very mellow, melodic sound. It was just a duo on stage, a drummer with lead singer Meagan Grandall on keyboard & guitar.
I only caught the last couple songs and the dreamy pop seemed really interesting, but also a little complex; something that you would need to really dig into. There were also a couple of awkward silences between songs, but I would definitely be interested in catching them again next time they're through town.


Taking the stage next was The Gay Nineties. The Vancouver four-piece exploded out of the gates with their infectious sound, blending hints of 60s psych-rock, 90s grunge, and 00s dance-rock. It's a sound that has the potential to come across as tired and old, but there is so much raw talent in the band that they give it a fresh spin.
While they didn't say too much between songs, they had a great energy and stage presence while playing. Malcolm Holt is a great drummer, and fun to watch play live, and frontman Parker Bossley has an effortless charisma.
Almost all of the songs played throughout the set were newer than their Coming Together EP released a couple years ago, and I didn't catch the name of any of the songs, but there were more than a couple that got me excited to see what they've got coming up.


And finally, the band of the hour, celebrating the release of their new album, Sidney York was up to close out the night. The duo of Brandi Sidoryk and Krista Wodelet were backed by some of Vancouver's finest; Niko Friesen on drums, Shaun Huberts on bass, and Noah Walker on guitar. It was the first show of the tour, and the first time this configuration has played together live, so it took a couple of songs for them to get into the groove, to mesh, but once they did they gelled fantastically.

The two girls jumped between instruments throughout the night, keys and synth and guitar and french horn and bassoon and ukulele were all utilised, with the two of then swapping effortlessly. At one point, they even shared the same keyboard for the dark and sexy "Electrolove". Both also had incredible energy -- Brandi could hardly be contained -- which was especially impressive considering about an hour before going on stage, their tour van was towed from the venue.

The set focused mostly on the new album, <3s, with songs ranging from the incredibly explosive and raw "The Lion. The Tiger. The Bear." to the fun and flirty "Weird For You", and the soft and beautiful "Let The Sparks Fly" which saw Krista taking over lead vocals for an absolutely heartbreaking ballad.
The set ended with my favourite off the new album, "Weapons-Grade Love (Watch Your Back)", which erupted into a chaotic cacophony, a perfect ending for the set. It's a great song that exemplifies Sidney York's ability to blend ridiculously catchy pop with sexy lyrics and dark undertones.

Regular readers (all 21 of you) may remember that their previous album, Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, was one of my favourites of 2011, and if <3s doesn't end up making Sidney York into one of the breakthrough bands of 2014, I will eat my virtual hat.

setlist
Mile High Love, Hearts, I Wait, Dick & Jane, Math & Fractions, The Lion The Tiger The Bear, Lily's Kitchen, Weird For You, Electrolove, Let The Sparks Fly, Weapons-Grade Love (Watch Your Back).

String Fling w/ Four on the Floor String Quartet @ Rio Theatre -- 12/13/12

Even if you don't know them by name, there's a good chance you've seen some members of the Four on the Floor String Quartet playing live. As a group or individually, they've been a part of the Vancouver music scene for a while, playing with local artists like Adaline, The Belle Game, Kyprios, The Matinee, and many others, as well as having members of the quartet taking place in every Peak Performance Project as a part of various backing bands.
But they've decided to step into the spotlight and put on the first (of what I hope is many) String Fling, which saw members Hannah Epperson, Michelle Faehrmann, Tony Kastelic and Dougal McLean inviting some local acts to the Rio Theatre to play some of their own songs, with string accompaniment. And as someone who has always had a soft spot for strings in music, I was definitely interested to see how they came together with some of Vancouver's finest.

The show was broken into two halves, with each the performers playing a few songs and a steady flow of music with Four on the Floor performing between acts, with songs from their members or spoken word poetry over top of some strings arrangements. They opened the show with a songs before being joined by the first performer of the night, Ali Milner. With her gorgeous voice and jazzy piano, the strings blended really well with upbeat songs like the catchy "Waiting" and the dynamic "Fly".

After a spoken word interlude, they showcased a couple of their own solo projects, first Dougal Bain McLean with a could laid back, singer-songwriter-type songs, followed by the looping violin and lovely voice of Hannah Epperson, joined by Ajay Bhattacharyya on a drum machine for the aptly named "We Will Host A Party".

Ajay stayed on stage, joined by his bandmate Amy Kirkpatrick as Data Romance was up next. There was a bit of technical difficulties before they started, but Hannah covered fairly smoothly and they soon launched into their dark and moody, synth-infused electronic vibes. They played a couple new songs, teasing a new album in February, but I think they meshed with the string quartet least well -- which isn't to say it was bad in the slightest, just a clash of styles. That is, until their last song which was a bit more low key with Amy's ethereal voice soaring with the strings to close out the first half of the show.

After a short break, the second half opened with a spoken word piece from the quartet before Dominique Fricot took the stage. He is definitely no stranger to playing with Four on the Floor -- they helped him land third place in this year's Peak Performance Project -- and so he meshed the best with the quartet of all the performers. The acerbically charming Fricot talked and joked with the crowd, taking advantage of their relaxed atmosphere to play a couple slower, quieter songs from his repertoire, including the title track to his recent EP If Baby Could Walk. 

The next interlude, featured another spoken word piece, this time it segueing into the quartet playing the epic Game of Thrones theme, which was as fantastic as it sounds.

Of all the acts of the night, I was most interested to see how Shaun Verreault's bluesy sound mixed with the strings, and he introduced his first song as one least likely to be backed by a string quartet; Wide Mouth Mason's "Love Not Loving You". Originally a raw, distorted blues-rock song, it was turned into an absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking number that ended up being my favourite of the night. His next couple songs were from his own solo albums, both a little more suited for the strings accompaniment, giving his amazing guitar playing and powerful voice an extra kick.

After one last Four on the Floor interlude, The Gay Nineties hit the stage to close out the night with their energetic and infectious rock. The first song had guest vocals from the powerful Colleen Rennison of No Sinner, and their raw energy was enough to get people up and dancing at the front of the stage. They sounded pretty much exactly like themselves, but with the addition of strings, which wasn't a bad thing at all, and they were definitely a good choice in closing out the night.

The pacing of the show was fantastic, with it never dragging on or seeming long, and for the most part everything ran like clockwork. It was a great night of music with a fantastic premise, and at the end of the show, they hinted at already planning a second one, and I already can't wait to see who Four on the Floor will be collaborating with for another.

Peak Performance Project Showcase #4 @ Red Room -- 10/11/12

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars. Past winners are We Are The City, Kyprios, and Current Swell with a ton of great bands and artists included as well.

Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat to get lectures and advice from industry pros to help them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set. The bands are rated by a panel of judges, which will go toward their final score in the project, and they've also been tasked to learn a "Classic Canadian Cover" to play during their set. I always love hearing bands play cover songs, and I am definitely looking forward to see who each act chooses (and, as in the past, I am going to keep a running tally on how many Arcade Fire, Neil Young or Leonard Cohen songs we get).

The penultimate showcase was another with mostly bands I was unfamiliar with, so I was looking forward to what the unknown-to-me bands had to offer. Every year of the project I've discovered at least one or two new bands that, while they had varying success through the project, ended up being a personal favourite of mine. 

Georgia Murray: After a bit of a long instrumental intro, Georgia Murray took the stage with a band comprised of a few familiar faces and PPP-vets; Tim Proznick (Kyprios) was on drums and Ashleigh Eymann on backup vocals. Murray had a bit of a soul and R&B tinged rock, with a warm stage presence and a strong voice, but a lot of the songs blended together and sounded a bit the same. Though one did stand out, "Never Die", which sounded like it would have made a perfect James Bond theme.
Alanis Morissette made her second appearance in the showcase series as Georgia covered "You Oughta Know", which was a good, but pretty straightforward cover, and she ended the night with a bit of a slower and sultry number, "SRH".

Tough Lovers: A last minute replacement this year, after another band dropped out, the four-piece from Ladner had a bit of that mid-00's indie rock sound with a retro twist. With a great energy on stage, Tough Lovers have some pretty catchy songs, but they didn't really stand out from each other. Even their cover,
a very fitting and fun version of Paul Anka's "Put Your Head On My Shoulders" (which actually wasn't the first time that song was covered in the PPP) blended in with the rest of their set. That didn't make it bad, though; it was definitely an entertaining set, and were quite fun to watch live. But they're still only a couple years old, as a band, and they just need to keep at it, to "find their sound" so to speak. And I, for one, will be interested to see how they grow.

Fields of Green: When I saw Fields of Green in last year's competition, I thought they'd have a good shot at winning... if they entered the next year. And here we are, one year later, with the Kelowna quartet back for another go. Their synthy prog-rock sound has indeed matured, and they've grown as a band, with a wildly energetic show; especially Johnny Jansen, who is the most fun drummer to watch, seemingly flailing erratically, pounding the skins with wild abandon -- but without being sloppy in the least.
With songs that swirled to psychedelic crescendos, burst into explosive endings, and feature some nice harmonies, they created an intricate yet catchy sound.
For their Canadian cover they did a pretty good job with April Wine's "Say Hello" and wrapped up with their current Peak single, "The Do Nothings", another highly energetic and rocking song.
I think they definitely have a well deserved shot at it this year, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they end up in the top five.

The Gay Nineties: I had heard a lot of buzz and good things about The Gay Nineties before the show, so I was equal parts in interested to see them and apprehensive that they wouldn't live up to the hype. They started the set with a sheet up across the stage and an old movie playing on the screens with a musical number about "the gay 90's" before the curtain dropped and they launched into "In and Out of Style". I was immediately struck by their amazing energy and presence on stage; they were a well oiled machine with hints of psych-rock and grunge in their incredibly infectious rock. And both guitarist Parker Bossley and bassist Daniel Knowlton -- who share vocals -- had a great charisma, with a great back & forth, playing off each other really well. They broke out "Hot Child in the City" from Nick Glider for their Canadian cover, matching the energy of the rest of their set, and ended the night with a bang, with a song called "Handle It All"
The band definitely lived up to the buzz and ended up as one of my new favourites of the competition. Yet another act I am hoping makes the top three, and if this was any indication, they've got a strong chance of it.

And with that, the series is almost over. The final showcase happens on the 18th, and will wrap up with Dominique Fricot, Mike Edel, T. Nile, and Portage & Main (one of the bands I am rooting for most).