Nightshift-friendly's the Darcys have a brand-new song up on their myspace page! 'House Built Around Your Voice' is the first recorded material to be heard from thier upcoming, MUCH anticipated sophomore album.

 

The band will be headlining a show at the El Mocambo Thurs Dec 17 to showcase much of the new material. $7!

Celebrate the holidays with The Darcys.

November 26th, 2009

 

Here's the story of Edward Sharpe as I know it: Alex Ebert, the band's singer, spent a year sleeping in a bare apartment, going to AA meetings, and developing this character of a Christ-like dude named Edward Sharpe who comes to Earth as the messiah but gets distracted by girls. 

The story is fairly irrelevant when it comes to the recorded music (it's not a concept album), but seeing the live show last night at the El Mocambo really brought it to life.  Ebert has all the stage presence of a modern-day messiah, frequently coming to the front of the stage and reaching out to his adoring fans.  The fact that he is scruffy, bearded and usually barefoot doesn't hurt anything, either.

As for the rest of the band (from what I could tell, there are 11 of them all told, but it seemed like new people kept popping up from nowhere.  That, on top of the overly-drunk audience members who rushed the stage at one point), "unbridled joy" is the term that springs to mind. 

I haven't been to a show so un-self-consciously exuberant in a LONG time.  Jade Castrinos, Ebert's adorable sidekick, sang her little heart out, while the rest of the band played everything from upright piano to trumpet.  At one point Ebert donned a marching band bass drum.  The sold-out audience (this was the second show in a row for the band at the El Mo) was jumping around, pumping their fists, singing along.  It was exhilarating to the end.

The show wound down with a lovely acoustic singalong of "Brother", for which Ebert managed to get all 300 or so audience members to sit cross-legged on the floor of the El Mo.  I felt like I was 12 years old and sitting around the fire at YMCA camp, full of hope for the future and love for my fellow campers.

It's hard to describe just how happy a show The Zeros put on, but suffice to say everyone left the venue grinning.  I doubt when they come back the show will still cost $12. 50, but even a ticket twice as much would be well worth it, and cheaper than a month's supply of Zoloft.

 

-Lyra "Wolf" Howell

November 25th, 2009

 

How do I describe Delhi 2 Dublin's show at the Lula Lounge last night?  Being that I have to use words, and clean ones at that, I am in irons.  #$@@!&&*^^*%@#*@!$!&^$!!!! 

 

Huge stage presence, very interactive, and ALWAYS smiling and having a blast.  I was reminded of the scene in 1998; the golden age of rave in Toronto.  About the vibe, about the music, and totally non-judgemental.  This band has the potential to be huge; very skilled in their instruments, engaging, and a professional approach to public relations.

 

In today's social melting pot this band are ambassadors of audio culture.  They remind me of everything I love about music and partying while introducing me to sounds and techniques that I have never heard. 

 

A testament to the impact of the band's image lies in the story that unfolded after the show: Ravi's dhol was stolen.  The band posted a video appealing to the thief to return it to the manager's office; no questions asked.  12 hours later and Ravi's dhol was returned.  The power of positivity at work!

 

We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to talk with them and wish them all the best in the coming year.

 

See you at Hillside Inside, D2D; I am a fan for life!

 

I2

November 5, 2009

 

If you you've been listening to the show for the last year, you'll know we're pretty big supporters of TO band Black Hat Brigade. After the release of thier second EP 'Fathers' this spring, followed by a string of acclaimed performances throughout the summer (including appearances on The Nightshift), the band hit a bit of a snag near the end of September when pretty much everyone left the band. Core members Justin an Bryan have persevered though, aided by drummer Wes and keyboardist/guitarist Jason of The Darcys (also former Nightshift Guests- and great guys all around). 

 

The Black Hat Brigade will be playing a show Sat November 28th at recently opened venue The Garrison, before taking a break to pen some new material. Also on the bill is Racoon Wedding, Germans, and The Schomberg Fair. So be there or be square!

 

You can catch The Darcys with Two Hours Traffic at the Garrison on Sat November 21. The Garrison actually has a great variety of talent lined up for the next month, click that link.

 

~Chrischana Masala

October 27, 2009

 

I Had a great conversation about the virtues of vinyl versus CD and the debate between digital and analog this past Sunday with my uncle.  He has been involved in the music industry since the 60's; he started as "Tommy Trend" on 1010am and was a big part of the R&B movement of that period.  

 

We came to the following conclusions:

 

First, when people say "Vinyl sounds better than CD"  they are likely trying to say "Analog sounds better than digital."  Having done literally thousands of events with very big systems he observed that "You really can't tell the difference between the two; depending on the format of the original recording."  Meaning that you can tell between analog and digital recordings, but not between the two formats.  "MP3's are a different story, though; they sound like crap (on a large system.)"

 

That being said, we both agreed that the sounds on a record are superior to a cd, but the signal is not.  With CD's you get virtually no noise in the signal. records generate noise from the needle, the motor for the platter; then all that is amplified by the phono input of the receiver.  The downside of the CD's ability to recreate sound is in the math:  A CD takes a sine wave and turns it into a square wave (see photo); you just can't get the same full representation of the original.   Six of one, a half-dozen of the other;  complex sound and more noise or simpler sound and a cleaner signal.

 

So where is the best sound and signal found?  In our opinion; 12" 45's.  They're 12 inches like a full album, but are spun at 45 rpm instead of a typical album's 33 1/3 rpm.  Defined in our conversation as "The Shit", the format has been the mainstay of DJ's since the inception of "wax" as the popular form of distribution and has continued to be the choice well past vinyl's prime.  Serato is a perfect example: DJ software that allows you to play music from a computer or laptop through a regular turntable using a special digitally encoded vinyl record.  (Be sure to use wav's and not mp3's!)

 

"The channel in a 12" 45 is very wide, allowing for a greater diversity of sounds to be recreated. You can't do that with a CD."  Also, by spinning the record faster many of the "pops and crackles" are not as prevalent; they become higher in pitch and shorter in duration.  The hum of the motor is also higher, less resonant pitch.

 

More blogs about the magic and splendor of wax coming soon...

 

IB

October 21st 2009

 

Last night was like any other. It took place before the morning after (aka today) and it was rather quiet and dull here in the burbs. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I SAW ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS OF THE FALL SEASON.

 

I ventured out to Milton to take in "Where The Wild Things Are." From the opening moments of the film, I knew I liked the style of filming. Very much, in fact; it was organic and easy on the eye.

 

There were sporadically placed moments of genuine comedy throughout as well.  This movie was NOT LIGHTHEARTED as I had expected. It looked at the mind and charged imagination of a young boy, Max, just on the cusp of starting to understand the world and his family. It explored his imaginary world of wild things and, through being their leader, just how hard it is to keep everyone happy all the time :(

and that growing up is rough :'(

and that biting your mom is not acceptable :'(

and that when you run away after biting your mom you'll probably just end up coming home and apologizing because dammit, YOU JUST CAN NOT BITE YOUR MOTHER like some wild animal, it's unacceptable :'(

 

Much of the film had me thinking one of two things.

a) What a zany little boy he is.

b) What a foolish little boy he is.

 

As it was based on a 20 page book for kids, it lacked any true story. There was a beginning and an end. Both revolved around the relationship of Max and his mother. There were some delightful scenes of real fun in this film but it was a little thin on content.

 

When I left the theatre I realized that what I expected the movie to be like ruined it for me. I liked it because I expected to love it; good, not great. Definitely worth it on half-price movie night.

 

Tips for if you are going to see it:

 

Get a slushy. That is all.

 

~Adil

 

October 20th 2009

 

Saturday night (October 17th) I took my mom to her first rock show.  More specifically, I took her to see The Dodos at Lee's Palace (along with our good friends Adil and Christian) for a Frenchkiss Records showcase. 

My mom is a classical musician, so I thought she might hate me afterward, but in her words, "It rocked."  I would say that is an apt description. 

We arrived just as New Zealand openers The Ruby Suns were playing their last two songs, which is a shame because their debut album Sea Lion was one of my favourites of 2008.  From our brief encounter with their live material, I would say they are definitely a band worth checking out next time they're in town.

This was my third time seeing The Dodos live, and once again they did not disappoint.  While their newest album, Time to Die, hasn't wowed me the way their last one, Visiter, did, in a live context it's every bit as impressive. 

Drummer Logan Kroeber (who happens to be my second cousin) sat at the front of the stage and kept up a nonstop barrage of complex rhythms and tempo changes, making it nearly impossible to hold still.  Did I mention he played with the Ruby Suns during their set, too?  It's no wonder he was literally dripping sweat by the end of the show. 

Singer/guitarist Meric Long was dripping sweat by the end, too, which isn't surprising given the intensity he was playing with.  As I've often found to be an issue at Lee's, the vocals were nearly impossible to make out, but at a show such as this one vocals are pretty much an afterthought anyway.

Newest addition Keaton Snyder, who plays vibraphone, adds a subtle, airy element when audible, but as on the recording he rarely was.  His shining moment was on the last pre-encore song (dedicated in a shout-out to ME! Ha!).  Both Snyder and Long went at the vibraphone with cello bows, creating an ethereal, atmospheric hum that lead in to an all-out extended jam.

 

Overall, this was another great show by a band whose popularity is growing quickly for a reason.  Seeing my 52-year-old mom grooving along with an indie rock band she'd never heard before warmed my heart to the core, and reminded me of why I love live music.

 

-Lyraaaahhh

October 17th 2009

 

Last night was the first of two album release shows for Cuff the Duke's new LP, Way Down Here. I showed up earlier than usual, and for damn good reason: Boys Who Say No, our guests this past Wed on the Nightshift, had landed the prestigious honour of opening for the Oshawa legends! Bassist Dave Stein was a little wispy-eyed about the affair: ‘I remember seeing these guys in University 6 years ago, thinking ‘Man, I wish I were up there, I wish I were them.’ And this was before I was playing bass in bands. So to now be sharing a stage with them is unreal.”

I’ll be honest, I came specifically to see BWSN. The Boys put on a helluva fun show as usual, their pixies-tinged alt-country pop rock (I guess) anthems visibly turning heads and shaking bodies! Their dedicated group of super-fans (Super Friends!) threw it down to a mix of favourites and brand-new material. I would suggest if you’re reading this, to make a point of seeing this band in the near future. If fun is something you’d like on your dinner plate, and eat such a meal of that therr's no room for desert.

Second openers La Strada (who I think take their name from a Fellini film) are a Brooklyn-based 6-piece. I must say that I found the lead singer/accordion player’s voice strange and captivating. According to their myspace page, ‘La Strada is the romance of old-world instrumentation through new world amplification. With soaring vocal harmonies, accordion, and string driven melodies set to rock rhythms, La Strada transports you to the hills of the Balkans, a street corner in Paris, and back to your window overlooking the Brooklyn skyline.’ They did kinda sound like that. And they have a new album on the way in 2010, worth checking out.

 

Cuff the Duke. I’d seen them years ago in Hamilton, quite accidentally, at about this time of year with some good friends/hooligans. This date is also reverently referred to as the legendary ‘Night of Skulls’: yes it was ridiculous, and involved a HEATED game of street kick-ball style foot-hockey with several plastic skulls borrowed from a church. Anyway, Cuff the Duke were enjoyable, the sound was decent and they were tight. They are very alt-coutry. Greg Keeler of Blue Rodeo, who (very appropriately) produced their latest album, made an appearance playing several songs with the band - including a new Blue Rodeo tune, which is sorta neat.

 

But seriously, check out Boys Who Say No!

 

~Chrischinny chin chin

October 13th 2009

 

Lyra and I just saw Loney, dear at the Horsehoe - so much more than we expected. You may've heard us play tracks from his latest album 'dear john' over the spring and summer. It's a dark, personal album with very tight production and shimmering subtleties. Surprsingly, their live show was incredibly open, upbeat and happy; not only that, but every single song was presented with differing arrangements and instrumentation from what can be heard on the record. And it was BETTER. Lead singer/composer Emil was quirky and funny between songs, inviting a relaxed and intimate environment to all present. Superfans were in attendance as well, providing amusement and enthusiam to fuel an incredible performance by one of Sweden's finest musicians.

 

~Christianbul