New bands breakups and a bit of reggaie
I hope everyone enjoyed the Calgary Folk Music Festival as much as me and had a chance to catch the Calgary talent on display this year like The Cape May or The Neighbourhood Council (more on them later). Now onto the matters of August. Woodpigeon Azeda Booth and The Consonant C are co-conspirators this month. First up they are playing together at an outdoor camping-style music event the Mukwah Jamboree taking place August 10 to 12 in Mukwah Alberta. Calgary artists Jane Vain and The Dark Matter The Firm Handshake The Azymyth and Naomi Burkhart are all on board as well. Then in even more exciting news The Consonant C are releasing their debut full-length Capes And Crowns on August 19 with a show at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Church. The Pigeons and the Booth kids are on that bill as well. I’ve heard the album and it’s a beautiful thing I know I’ve been hyping them up forever but The Ostrich really are the best balls-to-the-wall rock band in the city these days. If you haven’t caught them with Craig Fahner on keys and theremin yet you should seriously get your ass down to The Palomino on August 11. The Ostrich also opened for The Trophy Wives at their farewell show at the Castle Pub on July 28 which was a lot of fun. However the band’s departure is a huge loss for the local music scene. Local artist Hardcore Ras Bagga is performing at Millennium Park on August 18 as part of this year’s Reggaefest. Born in Kingston Jamaica but settling in Calgary he has performed with Strugglah IBO and KinDread and is currently working on a new album. Jah bless! Jew bless! That same night local scene veterans Vailhalen will take to the stage at The Marquee Room the very venue that front man Chris Vail has helped breathe life back into since he took over managing duties. They will be opening for Victoria’s Immaculate Machine who a lot of people seem to like but I think are a total snoozefest. Grandfather Fire and The Holy Morning are also playing August 18 at The Palomino alongside You Tel Aviv. They also recently released a self-titled CD and have now launched grandfatherfire.com. Cool! The Neighbourhood Council have been getting a lot of hype these days. Though four out of the five members are under legal drinking age they played at the folk fest and they make surprisingly sophisticated music. The Calgary quintet has uploaded their song “Partridge Shadow” at myspace.com/theneighbourhoodcouncil. The Lonely Hunters are another new-ish band that I highly recommend. Nineties slacker indie rock acts like Dinosaur Jr Throwing Muses and The Lemonheads are their most obvious inspirations but they also throw in some more precious stylings in the Hidden Cameras/Belle and Sebastian tradition. Unfortunately guitarist Tynan Groves has recently parted ways with the group but their debut album The Chaste Are Chased is out and available. The Lonely Hunters’s next show isn’t until September 15 at Millennium Park. Spin down to myspace.com/garethsband and check out the four tunes up for a play or a download. The new-wave synths and sugar-sweet harmonies of husband and wife duo Gareth and Laurie on “Dome Tower” are my personal fave. I hate to spoil a well-kept secret but everyone should know about another fun local indie-rock/power-pop duo called The Jagatha Christies. They don’t have any shows scheduled as of this press date but they do have two EPs the newest of which is called Cowbell Asshole City. Check out myspace.com/thejagathachristies where you can hear four songs (including a remix!) and also look at all their super-cute pictures. Are they a couple too? I can’t tell. Finally in a night that’s sure to be celebratory for some and slightly sad for others September 1 will serve as both Sudden Infant Dance Syndrome’s CD release (for the long awaited 2 Many Babes) and also The Pants Situation’s farewell show. Calgary’s Draft Dodgers and Edmonton’s Bayonets are also on the bill and it all goes down at EMMedia. If you’re a local artist doing something interesting and want to have it written about drop me a line at either alvy411@hotmail.com or myspace.com/alvy411. Meshugass.
