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I Hear the Pitter Patter of Awesome Shows
In case you’re not into any CMW bands playing this year like these guys, or you want to avoid the boozing and schmoozing music industry folks (who are desperately clinging to their jobs), you might consider checking out the Pitter Patter Festival running concurrent to CMW. Featuring more than 80 local and non-local bands playing in Toronto, Hamilton and Oshawa, this year’s line-up is a competitive, if not superior alternative to Canadian Music Week.
Organizer Keith Hamilton is no stranger to playing music, which may be why he’s so good at organizing shows. As a member of The Postage Stamps and Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, he also co-ordinates the Pitter Patter Nights music series, an irregular but frequent event that’s a lot like Wavelength. At the end of each month, volunteers and organizers put together a compilation of bands that played that month, which is available for a short period of time at various record stores.
The downloadable schedule is here, but here are a few highlights to look forward to:
Tonight: The Sourkeys, Deep Dark United, VKNGS @ Tiger Bar
VKNGS are experienced Haligonian musicians with former members of North of America and Sharp Like Knives who play dark, mathy hardcore. Deep Dark United play noisy, psychedelic, playful and sinister tunes. The Sourkeys also dabble in math-rock, but are poppier, catchier, and lighter than VKNGS. 141 College St., 9 p.m., $5.
Thursday, March 8: Jewish Legend, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Rest @ Supermarket
Jewish Legend are a psychedelic-country-rock band featuring the best drummer in the city and former-Tangiers frontman Josh Reichmann. The RAA are a lo-fi Cuff the Duke, and play songs about the country-side. Hamilton’s the Rest call to mind Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and their forthcoming debut record Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour! should get a lot of attention (and let’s hope for more than their lengthy, exhausting, song titles). 268 Augusta, 9 p.m., $5.
Friday, March 9: Paul Devro, Apache Beat, The Diableros, Put the Rifle Down, Sailboats Are White @ The Boat
This will be a great show, particularly because of the upbeat and eclectic mix of bands on the bill: Vancouver’s Paul Devro is Canada’s Girl Talk, and mixes and mashes pop songs with a baile funk beat. New York’s Apache Beat is best known for producing ‘Tropics’, which was remixed by TTC’s Tacteel, but will probably be better known for their own tracks soon. If you haven’t seen the Diableros yet, with their Beat Happening meets Arcade Fire meets British Sea Power sound, now is probably the time. Put the Rifle Down are a local dance four-piece who sound like a laptop DJ. Finally, Sailboats Are White are a thrashy band with the occasional dance beat from Hammertown and St. Catharine’s. 158 Augusta, 9 p.m., $8.
Saturday, March 10: Hexes and Ohs, The Department of Foreign Affairs, Friday Morning’s Regret @ The Central
Hexes and Ohs are an adorable Montreal couple who play quieter, catchy dance-pop tracks with synths and feeling. Ottawa’s appropriately named The Department of Foreign Affairs play indie-piano-rock are sort of sound like the Beatles, which might be a ridiculous comparison. Friday Morning’s Regret are a local band with 90s indie sensibilities, and are the band most likely to hear on the radio very soon perhaps because of their Matthew Good-like vocals. 603 Markham St., 9 p.m., $5.
Sunday, March 11: The Patients, Action Makes, Another Blue Door, The Zoobombs @ The Velvet Elvis
This show’s line-up is great, but it’s the combination of the line-up at a great venue in the ‘burbs that will really make this one special. The Patients have a Sam Roberts-ness about them, but without that Montreal snobbiness. Just kidding. Toronto’s Another Blue Door are a lot like Archers of Loaf, who we all miss and are glad have been reincarnated as this band. Lastly, Tokyo, Japan’s Zoobombs are a rowdy, raucous, fast-paced rock band that will tear it up. There is more to come on them soon. 221 King St. E., *Oshawa*, 7 p.m., $9.
Flyer by Tim Okura.