Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 11 to 17, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE.

Bad Religion's iconic logo on their drum kit at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Thursday night was undoubtedly buzz-band night at North by Northeast. Whether it was a quartet of attractive, Jack White–co-signed goths, a self-destructive Texan or a pair of haunting Albertan electro-popsters, if they had serious blog buzz, they were playing.

Nash
FROM: Montreal, Quebec
PERFORMED: June 14, 7 p.m. at the Mod Club

Pre-Show Hype: Minimal. 7 p.m. is a rough slot to fill—especially in a place as big as the Mod Club.

Performance: Excellent. It was impressive that that the vocal frontman was jumping up and down with his guitar and tambourine despite the fact that the room was only a quarter full when the set kicked off. These guys strive to be huge, and there are definitely echoes of bands like U2 in their music. They likely got a much better reaction at their 1 a.m. show later that night.

Best Moment: There was a stomping jam in the middle of the set that was a nice switch up from the previous numbers—and it finally got the audience engaged in the tunes.

Miscellaneous: This show was proof that rock stars can wake up early and still rock.

Verdict: Despite the early nature of the show—several of the audience members even looked like they might be nursing a hangover—it was a pretty solid set. Still, these guys deserved a much better time slot.

Good Riddance
FROM: Santa Cruz, California
PERFORMED: June 14, 8 p.m. at Yonge-Dundas Square

Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin expresses his frustration at the Devils recent Stanley Cup loss.

Pre-Show Hype: High. Considering that the band was playfully heckled by a fan in between songs for not returning to Toronto in seven years, it would be safe to assume there was an excitement in the air.

Performance: Songs started and ended at such a dizzying clip that, by the end, you could have sworn that they had played 20 of them in the 40 minutes they were on stage. Blasting out hard punk with a social and political bent, the group showed that time had not slowed them down—rather, it had further honed their skills. It was surprising how many people tightly packed into Yonge-Dundas Square were passionately belting out every lyric—almost as surprising is how well the material actually holds up.

Best Moment: Gloriously bald-headed bassist Chuck Platt was in especially fine form on this day, expressing his gratitude to the city’s enthusiastic reception with the promise that, “if you keep dancing, we’ll keep playing.”

Miscellaneous: One needlessly aggressive shirtless guy in the mosh pit had security putting on their plastic gloves.

Verdict: As part of an undercard for the night’s Bad Religion show, it almost felt like our own mini–Warped Tour in the heart of the city.

I Smell Blood
FROM: London, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 14, 8:45 p.m. at the Annex Live

Pre-Show Hype: Moderate. They were still setting up a few minutes after they were supposed to start, but the crowd was certainly ready for it.

Performance: Definitely a highlight of NXNE so far. You know when you hear a band’s first ridiculously loud riff and you just want it to last forever, without any of those silly vocals? Well, that’s what happened: no lyrics, just rock. To say that this drums-and-guitar duo blew the roof off the Annex Live would be understating the sheer power of their set.

Best Moment: Realizing that no one was going to be singing and that these two just came here to play—and hard.

Miscellaneous: Number of times it was forgotten that only two people were playing: too many to count.

Verdict: A must-see live act only bolstered by the fairly small space provided by the Annex Live. It’s hard to say what they’d sound like in a larger venue. For the time being, let’s just enjoy having our faces torn off by guitar-shredding just feet away from us.

Bad Religion
FROM: Los Angeles, California
PERFORMED: June 14, 9 p.m. at Yonge-Dundas Square

The smartest man in punk rock, Bad Religion's Greg Graffin.

Pre-Show Hype: Approaching fever pitch. They were already one of the biggest acts of the festival, and the anticipation was exponentially increased by the fact that punk fans are, without question, a loyal and enthusiastic bunch.

Performance: Bad Religion are considered legends, and by tearing through many favourites from their extensive catalogue for more than an hour and a half, they reminded the crowd why. From older material like “Fuck Armageddon… This Is Hell” to mainstream breakthrough “21st Century (Digital Boy),” virtually every one of the band’s eras was represented. In many cases, the political undertones that have always been present in Bad Religion’s music seem even more pertinent now than when the songs were released.

Best Moment: Not to discount the music, but all of lead singer Greg Graffin’s between-song banter. Like a great stand-up comedian, he bragged about the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup victory before dismissing sports altogether. Later, he amusingly expressed his distaste for all of the advertisements surrounding the stage.

Miscellaneous: Though they omitted Toronto from their 30th anniversary tour a few years ago, the group did hint at a special treat for their Canadian fans in the near future.

Verdict: Punk shows can be judged by the quality of their mosh pit. By that measure, Bad Religion’s appearance was a success.

B L A C K I E
FROM: Houston, Texas
PERFORMED: June 14, 10 p.m. at the Drake Hotel Underground

Pre-Show Hype: Fairly high. B L A C K I E’s performance at South by Southwest definitely put him on the radar. There was a fair bit of curiosity about the man who will be playing three nights at North by Northeast.

Performance: When you strip away the hype about the homemade 5,000-watt sound system, B L A C K I E—whose music combines punk, hip-hop, metal and dubstep—is essentially just one guy who screams bad poetry over top of a prerecorded backing track (admittedly a very loud one) and is really picky about how his name is spelled. That said, his North by Northeast debut wasn’t a total waste of time. B L A C K I E is, if nothing else, deadly serious about his own ridiculousness. His performance was fascinating and kinetic, and had a Darby Crash–ish flair. He hung himself with the mic, screamed, stomped, humped the amps and flailed around as if he was on fire. He may not have been great to listen to, but he was certainly fun to watch.

Best Moment: B L A C K I E stood wordlessly for two and a half minutes, alternating beteween a Jesus Christ pose and the “Y” in “YMCA,” while the audience clapped and cheered.

Miscellaneous: There were roughly 50 people in the crowd. It looked as if more than 40 of them had either a media pass or an artist pass.

Verdict: Like most of the crowd, Torontoist was there with a press pass. If we had actually paid money to be there, we would have been annoyed.

Sarah MacDougall
FROM: Whitehorse, Yukon
PERFORMED: June 14, 10 p.m. at C’est What?

Pre-Show Hype: Strong. A set like this is basically prime-time. So in a packed venue filled with a still-chatty audience, everyone was looking toward the mic as 10 p.m. drew near.

Performance: Great. MacDougall’s no stranger to the touring scene, having spent the last three years on the road. She definitely knew how to work the audience. There were sing-alongs, songs that encouraged the crowd to make wolf noises at certain intervals, and charming audience banter.

Best Moment: There were many great ones (the out-of-nowhere howl that featured occasionally in her songs, for example), but maybe the most memorable was her between-songs story about how living in the Yukon had made her so scared of bears and wolves that she would pee in the sink to avoid going outside to use the outhouse.

Miscellaneous: The baseball cap she was wearing actually made her look cooler. Why don’t people wear those anymore?

Verdict: It’s hard to keep track of all the great singer-songwriters out there, but MacDougall managed to capture the audience’s attention.

Tre Nyce
FROM: Vancouver, British Columbia
PERFORMED: June 14, 11 p.m. at the Crawford

Pre-Show Hype: Zero. Nyce was supposed to be part of Wednesday’s cancelled hip-hop showcase at the Rivoli. No one expected him to be here.

Performance: The Scarborough-born, Vancouver-based MC/singer put on a high-energy, entertaining performance. His fast-paced rhyme style, his tenor voice and his ability to mix thought-provoking lyrics and straight party rhymes all bode well for him in a world where Kanye West and Childish Gambino are superstars. While Nyce will never be a full-time singer, he can belt out a hook better than most rappers who try.

Best Moment: When he gave a shout-out to Scarborough, half the crowd broke into cheers.

Miscellaneous: Apparently he had bronchitis, which makes his performance even more impressive.

Verdict: He kept repeating the phrase “Tre Nyce is the future” throughout his set. There may be something to that.

The Hundred in the Hands
FROM: Brooklyn, New York
PERFORMED: June 14, 12 a.m. at Wrongbar

Pre-Show Hype: Pretty high. They had a song on Gossip Girl.

Performance: The Hundred in the Hands’ brand of new wave–influenced, synth-heavy indietronica tends to go over well at North by Northeast, and they represent the sub-genre at its best. Keyboardist and vocalist Elanore Everdell’s haunting voice contrasted nicely with pulsing beats and catchy synth riffs, and guitarist/bassist/programmer Jason Friedman is a talented multi-instrumentalist who moves like a hyperactive scarecrow.

Best Moment: Excited Audience Member: “You’re my favourite!”

Everdell: “Well, you’re OUR favourite.”

Miscellaneous: The Hundred in the Hands have their own webzine, where they interview their fellow musicians, as well as other artists.

Verdict: When it’s done well, dark-but-danceable is hard to beat. The Hundred in the Hands do it very well.

The Black Belles
FROM: Nashville, Tennessee
PERFORMED: June 14, 12 a.m. at the Garrison

Pre-Show Hype: It was a packed house. People standing on chairs.

Performance: Goth garage rock at its finest. Good sound, great song delivery and cute head-to-toe black outfits.

Best Moment: Emily the Strange’s twin sister wailing on the drums like they owed her money.

Miscellaneous: The band appeared on an episode of The Colbert Report in 2011.

Verdict: They were discovered by Jack White, and he knows what he’s doing. If you don’t like what they sound like, at least they’re nice to look at.

Purity Ring
FROM: Edmonton, Alberta/Montreal, Quebec
PERFORMED: June 14, 1 a.m. at Wrongbar

Pre-Show Hype: High beyond reason and completely out of proportion. Wrongbar was positively packed to the gills, with the entire audience standing at rapt attention. All this for a band whose debut album hasn’t even come out.

Performance: Most blog-buzz bands would crack under the pressure of this sort of high-profile coming-out party. Purity Ring may actually have exceeded expectations. Even when performed live, their emotional, slowed-out variety of electronica has the sort of polish you’d expect from a veteran act, not from a pair of newcomers. Megan James’ vocals are absolutely captivating.

Best Moment: When James admitted they were “really nervous” to be there, and that the crowd was “really awesome.”

Miscellaneous: The entire show was sponsored by a shoe company, who had their own VIP area. If anyone knows what it takes to be a Converse VIP, please let us know.

Verdict: Purity Ring aren’t going to be massive stars. They already are.

Lovely Killbots
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: Friday June 14, 2 a.m. at the Boat

Pre-Show Hype: Middling. Lovely Killbots were the last band scheduled as part of the HMV Digital Showcase. As of our arrival at The Boat at 2:10 a.m., there were half a dozen audience members on the dance floor (two were photographers), and another two dozen tired-looking spectators spread throughout the venue in chairs.

Performance: With such a small and tired crowd to perform for, and Lauralee Love having difficulty hearing her keyboard in the monitors (and consequently not always nailing the right pitch), we doubt this was a high-point show for Lovely Killbots, though they soldiered on.

Best Moment: The best song in the set was “Must Be Machine,” which got our toes tapping.

Miscellaneous: The video projection during the set was a nice touch.

Verdict: This duo, with “a penchant for heavy analogue synths and fun, catchy electro” has been making music together for five years, so by now they’ve surely learned to weather an off night. This was one of them.

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 11 to 17, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE.

Teenanger bassist Melissa Ball.

The first night of NXNE may have got off to a bumpy start, with the sudden cancellation of the hip-hop showcase at The Rivoli, but thankfully a night full of strong performances helped make up for it.

Petty Victories
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 13, 8 p.m. at The Monarch Tavern

Pre-Show Hype: Minimal. Minutes before the show began there were only a few people in the pub.

Performance: Engaging, if not for slightly uneven sound quality.

Best Moment: “Come closer.” The gig became much stronger and intimate once the crowd was invited to come a few steps nearer to the band.

Miscellaneous: The Tavern’s grand piano sounded great—a very nice touch for this set.

Verdict: Very easy-going music and a nice way to enter NXNE—check them out if you’re looking for something calming or an album to listen to on a long car ride home.

Gus + Scout
FROM: New York, New York
PERFORMED: June 13, 10 p.m. at El Mocambo (Downstairs)

Pre-Show Hype: Growing by the minute as show-time approached. The word appeared to be out on this one, as an empty room became a bustling hotspot in an instant. There were likely more than a few rubberneckers in attendance curious to see if Scout WIllis (yes, daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis) was capable of carrying a tune.

Performance: The duo, backed by a bassist and drummer who apparently don’t warrant additional ampersands in the band’s name, ambled through ragged blues-tinged numbers that straddled a pleasing line between rock and country. While the temptation for most may be to dismiss the group as the mere dalliance of a spoiled celebrity daughter, Scout’s voice carried a soulful tone that lent itself perfectly to the genre. She still has a reluctant stage presence (perhaps owing to her age), with a tendency to pick her fingernails or hook her thumbs into her Daisy Dukes when not singing. And there’s something about her relationship with baby-faced Gus that seems tailor-made for an upcoming reality television show. At face value, though, a solid festival appearance.

Best Moment: It was poised to be the tender kiss that Scout planted on Gus’S cheek after one of his barn-burning solos, until she later finished the set by rewarding him with a full-on lip-lock. Possibly a great conclusion to an episode of the aforementioned hypothetical reality show?

Miscellaneous: Even drummer Noah seemed surprised when he was introduced by Scout as “the baddest motherfucker you’ll ever meet.”

Verdict: The girl can sing. Though there are rough edges to be polished, this remains a combination to keep an eye on.

Sexy Mathematics
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 13, 10 p.m. at The Detour Bar

Pre-Show Hype: Strong—the venue had a healthy number of people before the show started (and the excitement was definitely showing).

Performance: Solid, boosted by the choice of a small venue. These guys could definitely benefit from including an instrumental or two in their set though.

Best Moment: Announcing “we’re going to slow it down a bit” and then launching into what was essentially a dance-inducing jam.

Miscellaneous: The disco lights added nicely to the atmosphere.

Verdict: The venue was a perfect choice for this set—intimate and small enough to fill up with their sound easily. The instrument transition in the last two songs made the set worth seeing, though it would have been even better if they had boosted the sound of the mics.

Tess
FROM: New York, New York
PERFORMED: June 13, 11 p.m. at The Crawford

Pre-Show Hype: Pretty much nil. We were actually there to see The Lytics, but there was a schedule change.

Performance: If there’s one problem with NXNE-type festivals, it’s that the acts don’t always blend together very well. For example, it would be hard to imagine a worse lead-in for Tess’ dance-pop flavoured R&B than the testosterone-laden aggro-rap of Tomasi. That said, the New York–based songstress did a great job of playing the hand she was dealt: stretching her voice to the limit, coming into the shy Toronto crowd, dancing until she was dripping in sweat, and breaking into tears on one of the slower, more emotional numbers.

Best Moment: Undoubtedly when she covered The Police’s “Roxanne,” then passed the mic to the audience during the chorus.

Miscellaneous: Her back-up singer, Jack Fuller, has a powerful enough voice that he could easily be a leading act in his own right.

Verdict: The next time Tess plays Toronto, it will be on a much, much larger stage.

Amos The Transparent
FROM: Ottawa, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 13, 11 p.m. at El Mocambo (Downstairs)

Amos the Transparent, far more visible than their name would suggest.

Pre-Show Hype: Fairly palpable. One of those Canadian bands deserving of a wider audience, they released their second album, Goodnight My Dear… I’m Falling Apart to strong reviews earlier this year. As singer Jonathan Chandler remarked at one point, the venue appeared to be filled with the familiar faces of loyal fans, but also some new converts.

Performance: The strength was all in the delivery, as the sextet provided the kind of loose and fun set that can only develop with hard work and time. With offerings that ranged from jangly, earnest anthems like “Slow as the Weather” to melancholy-laced slow burners, they nearly all succeeded in hitting their desired mark. Each band member brought his or her own invaluable contribution to the mix.

Best Moment: It’s hard to pull off an effective background vocal sing-along with any audience, let alone one in Toronto, but this improbable feat was achieved to satisfying results.

Miscellaneous: The band has generously made the new album available as a free download on their website.

Verdict: A great way to get the festival started and another reminder of the level of talent flying under the radar in Canada.

Teenanger
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 13, 12 a.m. at The Garrison

Teenanger vocalist Christopher Swimmings at The Garrison.

Pre-Show Hype: Fairly high—both NOW and the AV Club tapped Teenager as one of the acts to watch at this year’s NXNE, and they were the subject of a write-up in the Globe and Mail back in February.

Performance: It’s hard for a band to live up to that kind of expectation, but Teenanger managed to pull it off. Their jam-packed half-hour set was fast and tight, and lead vocalist Chris Swimmings’ nasal vocals were loud enough to rattle your chest. They didn’t talk between songs, but they did drink, spit, sneer, and generally kick ass.

Best Moment: Any time Swimmings spat into the crowd.

Miscellaneous: When they finished their set, they pretty much just dropped their gear and walked off stage.

Verdict: Teenanger is loud, snotty, obnoxious, and pretty much everything you’d ever want from a punk band.

Teen Violence
FROM: Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
PERFORMED: Jun 13, 12 a.m. at The Detour Bar

Geoff Albrecht (left) and Marcus Wanka of Teen Violence. Detail of a photo from their Bandcamp page.

Pre-Show Hype: Not much. No Twitter handle or hashtag (a couple of pre-show fan tweets), no mentions in any online publication’s NXNE previews or picks, one June interview in Fuss Magazine.

Performance: The Detour had a healthy (though not capacity) crowd when we arrived at midnight, and Teen Violence was already into their set. Frontman Marcus Wanka and lead guitarist Geoff Albrecht were joined by a bassist and very capable drummer for a four piece set-up, and the crowd seemed appreciative, though not initially pressing the stage. The first full song we heard was “The Only Way (We’ll Stay Together),” which had some unison vocals from the two regular members, and a decent surf-pop vibe. Our initial impression: punkier Monkees.

Best Moment: After several invites to dance or come closer, Wanka got the crowd to close the gap for their final three songs, all new (“These are fresh! Fresh as hell!”), two minute miracles.

Miscellaneous: “I like the Everly Brothers” announced Wanka mid-way through the set, and sure enough, their ’50s/’60s sound was worn heart-on-sleeve. Also, their horizontally striped attire made an impact.

Verdict: A strong first impression. While their 7-inch wasn’t on hand as they’d planned, that recording and a second EP are in the pipeline, as well as two videos. We’ll be keeping tabs on them.

Blake Carrington
FROM: Toronto, Ontario/Buffalo, New York
PERFORMED: June 13, 12:50 a.m. at The Crawford

Pre-Show Hype: Minimal.

Performance: Blake Carrington is a machine. His stage presence borders on epic. He jumps around like an over-sugared toddler, but doesn’t let it affect his smooth, measured delivery in the slightest. He managed to occupy every inch of The Crawford’s tiny stage (seemingly at once), did a masterful job of engaging the crowd, and did it all without ever seeming to tire.

Best Moment: When Carrington invited MC/producer Rich Kidd on stage with him. Kidd was supposed to headline the cancelled SmashMouth showcase at The Rivoli, so it was good to get to see him get a little stage time.

Miscellaneous: Carrington was actually supposed to go on stage at midnight. Remember what I said about hip-hop standard time?

Verdict: Young rappers should watch Carrington and take notes. He may be one of the best live performers in hip-hop right now.

We Were Lovers
FROM: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
PERFORMED: June 13, 1 a.m. at The Boat

We Were Lovers vocalist Elsa Gebremichael.

Pre-Show Hype: Minimal.

Performance: Things got off to a rough start when technical difficulties forced the band to stop twice during their opening song. Thankfully, their performance was worthy of the crowd’s patience. Elsa Gebremichael’s smooth vocals combined nicely with electro dance beats and guitarist Ash Lamothe’s rock infusion.

Best Moment: “Islands,” off their upcoming album, Pyramids

Miscellaneous: Gebremichael used to be in a band called From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z.

Verdict: This young prairie duo has a lot going for them.

CLARIFICATION: June 17, 2012, 10:10 PM This post originally referred to the back-up singer for Tess by a nickname; his full name, Jack Fuller, has been added above.

This Week

Monday, January 14
Muggabears @ The Drake, $5
Tuesday, January 15
Whisper (Colin Fisher and Rob Piilonen) @ Somewhere There, $6
Newton Faulkner, Jim Rain, Peter Bloom Band, and Foxfire Forest @ Horseshoe, Free
Wednesday, January 16
White Williams and Ecstatic Sunshine @ Horseshoe, $10
Au Revoir Simone @ Lee’s Palace, $13
Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra @ The Tranzac, PWYC
The Von Bondies @ El Mocambo, $13.50
In Transit and Locomotive 8 @ The Boat, $5
The Primordials, The Miles, and Barons and Lengthy @ The Drake, $5
Thursday, January 17
Tunturia, Epigram, and What Seas What Shores @ The Boat, $5
Broken Bricks, The Superstitions, and The Miles @ Sneaky Dee’s, $5
Friday, January 18
The Lyras @ Sneaky Dee’s, $5
Three Days Grace and Seether @ Kool Haus, $38.50
Elliot Brood @ Dakota Tavern
Amos the Transparent, The Just Barelys, and Kaeru @ The Drake, $5
Songs from a Room @ Silver Dollar, $5
Saturday, January 19
Solvent and Lowfish @ Rivoli, $12
Elliot Brood and Seesham and Lotus @ Dakota Tavern
Sunday, January 20
Ken Reaume and Abbey @ Sneaky Dee’s, PWYC
Jully Black (La Maison de Couture Gala Benefit) @ Berkeley Street Theatre (4 pm), $75
Hamilton Trading Company, This is Picture, and Ghost Hands @ The Boat, $5

Just Announced

February 14: Nina Nastasia @ El Mocambo, $8.50
February 16: Eleni Mandell @ El Mocambo, $10.50
February 21: Plants and Animals @ Drake, $10
March 20 & 21: Caribou @ Lee’s Palace, $15
March 28: Beach House @ El Mocambo, $8.50
April 7: Nada Surf @ Opera House, $16.50
April 16: Hot Chip @ Pheonix, $20