There’s no rhyme nor reason — just a hefty dose of local music this April
There’s a ton going on in local music this month. This Thursday April 2 will feature lo-fi indie rock artist Braden Funchner’s welcome return to The Marquee Room stage. Rarely seen since releasing last year’s debut CD-R Duthie Birthday Funchner’s experimental take on straightforward catchy pop songs will have you scratching your head one minute and shuffling your feet the next. He’ll be warming up the stage for Northern Alberta barn-burners Ghostkeeper and the sunny folk of Vancouver’s Eisenhauer.
Next up on the indie rock circuit are newcomers The Dijons who take the stage at The Palomino on Saturday April 4. The band brings a special brand of head-bobbing bad-assery to the Calgary scene playing stripped-down power-pop with a heap of funk and soul for good measure. Coming out of nowhere the band is polished and fully formed on Sink or Swim a slick five-song EP with handmade artwork that will be given away to the first 50 attendees. Art-popsters Axis of Conversation and the alt-country-ish Mallard will help them celebrate.
Bringing the party back to nature Tuesday April 7 gives us a couple familiar faces and one very exciting new one at the folk-friendly Ironwood Grill. Sandy Barron of the late Remote Kid and Laura Leif of the also-late Consonant C will settle in for an evening of woodsy folk delights with emerging solo songwriter Brock Geiger rounding out the evening’s lineup. Playing emotional minor-key folk with a dash of Americana reminiscent of Calgary’s Clinton St. John (The Cape May) Geiger has been hard at work recording solo material with the help of some of the city’s brightest young folk artists. Now with an album nearly ready for release Geiger is looking to breathe new life into an already fully formed set of masterful tunes.
“Recently I’ve been doing live stuff with Clea [Foofat also of the Consonant C] and we’re doing some more experimental stuff with the arrangements of songs that may have been simpler in the past” Geiger explains. “Just doing the live stuff with different arrangements has given me a new approach to playing [the songs] and it’s been exciting to do in that way.”
If you feel compelled to return to the always-cozy Ironwood’s head over on Monday April 13 for a performance by one of Calgary’s most underrated folk musicians Dawn Desmarais and her band Dawn ’n Blueclover . Describing themselves as a Celtic blues project this moody five-piece will perform their beautiful compositions and a few striking covers all led by Desmarais’s soulful vocals and mesmerizing dulcimer playing.
Moving in a gnarlier direction Calgary’s foremost alcohol-driven punk and metal organization Calgary Beer Core is taking the month of April by storm firing up no less than five separate shows across the city. With shows at the Distillery (April 4 12 and 18) the Stetson (April 10) and Vern’s (April 25) and over 20 different acts to catch including Razorwing X-ray Cat The Turrettes Within the Ashes and Bloated Pig expect plenty of toasting to those about to rock. As an added bonus the showcases will raise cash for the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
Finally new three-piece Puberty featuring members of garage rock band The Trophy Wives and experimental band Friendo is set to make its debut mid-month. With only a couple of intriguing MySpace demos (which bring to mind the grimey girl-group style of Vivian Girls and East Vancouver post-punk) it’s anybody’s guess what kind of racket these ladies will stir up at their April 16 appearance at Tubby Dog. If post-punk headliners Sharp Ends offer any hints there’ll be a few minds shaken up and even more blown all to hell.
