Saturday, May 31, 2008

Run With The Kittens need to start driving this...

All I'm saying is that if Run With The Kittens wanted to outdo itself, they simply need to get one of these. They could sleep upside down, and other cooky crap that I'm sure they'd love to try! A link to the story behind this bus...

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Windsor Live Music: The Summerlad (Calgary) and Shawn Ladd and The Wall of Bees Tuesday June 10th

I'll make this easy to understand. You know I don't like to book on off-nights.
This show I could not pass up if I wanted to, as The Summerlad have been here once, and that was years ago. They are an experimental/alternative/indie/rock band who destroyed when they played Phog last. I have been waiting for this for a long time. At times, when they get going, I am unable to get Yo La Tengo out of my head. There are similarities at times, for sure.

My memory of their last gig was, during the last song, the drummer took his entire kit apart while the guitars were blazing in a wall of sound, (a double-neck custom guitar to boot) and quietly set his cymbals up at the edge of the stage. As the song began to end, he went into a tirade on the cymbals with mallets and the mixture with the raining fire of guitar-string-fury was one of the best sounds I've been privileged to experience in my 4+ years of music hosting.

Joining them will be Shawn Ladd and The Wall of Bees. No, I did not book them because Shawn Ladd and Summerlad are odd coincidences...that is simply what they are...coincidences...as I think this local instrumental act is perfect to play with this Calgary gem.

Check their stuff online, and May I suggest going to their website thesummerlad.com.
The tunes under the "music heading" are perfect examples of what this band does live.
Looking VERY forward to this.

Windsor Live Music: The Pack A.D. (Calgary) w/ Hey Ocean! (Vancouver) & Lee Gaul Friday June 6th

Okay, this night could not be more diverse if I tried.
The Pack A.D., who played the last P.A Festival are back. This two-piece blues/rock band is so amazing, I don't know what else to say. They set up, two women, and then they play loud, gritty bluesy rock tunes that make you want to contort your face along with the lead singer. They remind me of my new favourite band, The Black Keys, as they are a rockin' two-piece with a similar output.
This is one of the best live acts to come through Phog last year, and they will reprise their roll as ass-kicking rockers again on this night.
Oddly enough, the band playing with them is a very different taste. Hey Ocean! is a band from Vancouver who has been making it onto the charts and podcasts of the beloved CBC Radio 3.
The best description I can give of this band is that, to me, they sound a lot like Mother, Mother. A ska beat is often heard, but the poppy quality to the vocals and other instrumentation makes this band quite diverse on its own. A flute played by the lead singer is always unique.
And the opener, the local flavour is Lee Gaul. This guy has a voice to match his guitar-playing prowess, and this means a double-whammy of talent for those lucky enough to make it to the show. Constantly compared to Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, and My Morning Jacket lead singers, he is a star in the making.

Windsor Live Music: June Listings

Here's what's happening. All of the Vancouver, Calgary, and other coastal cities are sending their best to Ontario during the safe driving weather of the summer. This bodes very well for Phog Lounge and music lovers. Look at this list, click some links, listen to some samples, and you will not believe the talent pool coming this month. So excited!

June
1 - FAM - Film showings and music - Films: Gary Blaze & The Best of The Comic Syndicate Music: Eric Welton wsg FURS
2 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
4 - Ron Leary Wednesdays with Special Guest Mr. Chill
6 - The Pack A.D. (Calgary) wsg Hey Ocean! (Vancouver) & Lee Gaul
7 - The Painted Birds (Vancouver) wsg Bedroom Biography (Toronto)
9 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
10 - The Summerlad (Calgary) wsg Shawn Ladd and The Wall of Bees
11 - NCRC Women of Windsor Showcase - This Is Me As A Woman w/ Dresden Sky & Tara Watts
12 - James O-L and The Villains wsg Trevor James and the Perfect Gentlemen (Ottawa) & Death or Comber AND Harvest Chant (London)
13 - Said The Whale (Vancouver) wsg TBA
14 - Square Root of Margaret (Chatham) wsg The Small City Saints (London)
15 - FAM Day - Films: Screenings of Gingerlip & Swinging from Vines Music: Eric Arner Project wsg Two For The Cascade
16 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
17 - The Super Fun Film Society (All welcome to bring any videos uner 10 minutes) All queries to phoglounge@gmail.com
18 - Ron Leary Wednesdays with Special Guest Christina Martin (Halifax)
19 - Matthew Barber (Toronto) wsg Travis Reitsma
20 - Phantastic 4 Phashion Show! Vex and The Hung Jury playing. This will be unhinged! Pre-sale tickets will be available soon.
21 - Parlour Steps (Vancouver) wsg TBA
23 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
24 - Radio Free Tuesdays with CJAM live DJs in-house.
27 - The Good Lovelies (Toronto) wsg Ron Leary
28 - Chad Hatcher (Halifax) wsg TBA
30 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts

Windsor Live Music: Arctic playing Saturday with A Welcome Breeze

If you are the kind of person who doesn't necessarily like having their brain jostled around in your head when you see a live show, you may wont to come out to Phog Saturday night to see Arctic and A Welcome Breeze.

A Welcome Breeze is a band from Windsor, you will recognize him from his days with Bloemfontein. As always, his music is contemplative and mesmerizing.

Also coming is Arctic, the fantastic Vancouver band who I am excited to have weaving a yarn of soothing sounds, something I have been craving for some time.

From the Arctic website:
"Always seeking contrast, ARCTIC is still sometimes a solo project, sometimes a full band, never exactly the same from one show to the next. In either form it combines diverse influences in unexpected ways: progressive rock, jazz, industrial rock merge with ambient textures and acoustic singer/songwriter melodies to create something fresh, unconventional and intriguing."

Monday, May 12, 2008

Windsor Live Music: Rest of May

May 13 - Super Fun Film Society
May 14 - Weekly Ron Leary Wednesdays wsg this week Scotty "Shooze" Hughes
May 16 - NOTHING on Friday. A night off. Therefore, and chance to see a mid-week show instead.
May 17 - The Locusts Have No King
May 19 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
May 20 - Pat Robitaille
May 21 - Weekly Ron Leary Wednesdays wsg this week Adam Fox
May 22 - Dan MacDonald's "Whine and Cheese" Book Release Party and Reading
May 23 - Long Lots (?) wsg Fleece Elves (Toronto) & Eric Welton, AND Elvyn (Toronto)
May 24 - Secret Mommy (Vancouver) wsg The Winks (Montreal) & .D
May 26 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
May 27 - Radio Free Tuesdays with CJAM Live
May 28 - Weekly Ron Leary Wednesdays wsg this week The Rideout (Yellow Wood) Brothers
May 29 - Stitch and Bitch & Art Trading Cards night. All welcome to free event.
May 30 - FAM Art & Music - Explode When They Bloom CD Release wsg James O-L and The Villians
May 31 - Arctic (Vancouver) wsg The Welcome Breeze (of Bloemfontein)


Thursday, May 08, 2008

Windsor Live Music: Absent Sound and What Seas, What Shores on a rare Sunday show...

Maybe you like to rest on Sunday.
The Sabbath.
Maybe you cannot operate a motor vehicle because of your religious affiliations.
But Sunday is worth traveling to Phog for, in order to see these two atmopheric gems.
What Seas, What Shores and Absent Sound from Winnipeg!
Don't say I didn't warn you!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Windsor Live Music: Run with the Kittens return with Spiral Beach and The Miles


Blue Flame by Run With the Kittens - Celebrity bloopers here
This Friday will be obscenely enjoyable.
I don't really know how else to tell you this...
It is, by far, the most "entertaining" night of the year thus far.
No question.

If you don't know, one of the tightest, most perfectly-timed bands I've ever seen are named Spiral Beach. These young kids look like they're playing a reunion tour (borrowed this expression) they are so good. I don't know where they find time to practice to be this damn good!

I said it, I meant it. Prove me right.

800 CDs documentary


I was simply thinking of you musicians.
You guys bust your butts to make great music, and then you get CDs made and you struggle and toil to move them. This new film about that struggle, and how to make it less of a struggle is something I want to watch. It is called 800 CDs. A guy who wants to sell his music, finds a way to do so, effectively.

Anyone interested may want to look into the idea of 1000 True Fans theory also.

You're welcome.
Tom