Ok, so this is it. Over the last three weeks I’ve listened to and reviewed 9 active local music groups with releases over 2011. Is this an exhaustive list? No. Is my “taste” universal and sophisticated enough to fall into sync with every reader of my humbly fabulous superlatives? I’d like to say yes but, again, no.
So why bother? Why have I wasted all of our time that could have been be spent playing Mah-Jong or having solo Breaker High/Smartfood marathons in musty bedrooms? Because my friends, as Jesus once said, you can bring a man a dead bear and he’ll eat for a little while or you can teach a man the art of strangling bears and he’ll have a whole buttload of dead bears to feast his weird mountain family with (something like that).
I have given you the first half of a treasure map, a framework upon which to exert your inner sleuth and discover emotionally and intellectually stimulating entertainment created right here, the city within which you eat your pogos/TVP. It is now up to you to find the booty. Occasions of good live music are a great way to spend time with friends; there is a sense of being a part of something ephemeral, yet visceral.
In music we sync like in no other aspect of life, save (of course) sex. All of the bands I have written about have events regularly in our community. Go to them, share their songs and your experiences of them. We’re all alive. Let’s enjoy ourselves.
Dave Tough – Hello Love
“I remember when the feeling started, but now I tend to think about the day things changed. I had to live up to my reputation, if I was ever going to be myself. When I think of all the damage I dealt out, all the hunger that I hurtled your way, I had to hand it to someone. Baby don’t get close to me, I’m like a barely burning fire. Baby don’t get close to me, I’ll eat the best years of your life” (D.T)
Dave Tough writes like a poet, and sings like an honest man. Releasing material in Peterborough since 1992, this Trent Alumni, former Arthur Editor and current Ph.D. Candidate has been known to bring spectators to tears with his simple and well thought melodies. Long lauded by national critics as an authoritative voice in Canada’s folk community, Dave’s forthcoming album “Hello Love” only strengthens the argument. Fans of Nick Drake, The Rheostatics, and Snailhouse would do well by Dave Tough.
Listen to “Don’t Get Close” at davetough.bandcamp.com
The Resolutionaries Marimba Band – Marimba Explosion
On Saturday mornings my wife takes my son and I to the Peterborough farmers market and buys us homemade pierogi. It’s a great time for all of us. A particular aspect I always look forward to is the music being played by buskers throughout. Usually in the realm of bluegrass or folk, one morning stands out in my mind. Three giant xylophone looking things with three dancing men and women crafting unbelievably infectious rhythms to a quickly growing crowd in the beautiful sunshine.
My son is two years old, he can’t pay attention to fireworks for more than a couple minutes. He was completely immersed in this stuff, doing little man shuffles and the like. A couple people down I saw an elderly woman making very similar movements and I thought to myself, “This is it. This is what great days are made of.”
The Resolutionaries make music for everyone. The marimba is an incredibly fun sounding instrument and the band uses that strength to its fullest, filling out the already complex rhythms with a kit drummer. The band’s recent three song EP is a great introduction, but no replacement for an in person experience. See this band live on February 11 at the Venue; they will blow your mind.
Listen to “Kukanyanisa” at resolutionaries.bandcamp.com
JNYCE – Vaults of Horror Vol. 3
The brains behind the beats of local Horrorcore outfit “Psych Ward”, James Nyce has an ear for absence. In my mind, the key to a really successful rhythm in hip hop is how the producer manages the space in between the samples. The feeling of each break lasts a LITTLE longer then expected which is exactly what it should do.
Creatively mixing punchy kick and snare with eerie piano and string samples, the final result is the perfect soundtrack for those in transit, whether that means walking between class or driving through the sunset. James’ work with Psych Ward is impressive, having released albums since 2005. The Vaults of Horror series repeats his accomplishments with the group, stripping out the vocals and leaving you to appreciate the craftsmanship of finely wrought syncopation.
Volume 3 is the latest and my favourite. It gets into your bones. JNYCE would make fine company on any Ninja Tune sampler next to the likes of Blockhead and DJ Vadim. Aspiring MCs or anyone just wanting to bounce from place to place should take the time to pick up Vaults of Horror Vol. 3.
Listen to “The Outstanding” at psychward.bandcamp.com
