Like A Balloon With A Grenade In It

Delectable popsters Ohbijou (who, as Tracy Jordan would say, are "blowing up like a balloon with a grenade in it") are at the Lo tomorrow night for what should be a tuneful evening in the Peg.

Songstresses DALA stop by the West End on January 21st.

Local pop-rockers The Perms play the Cavern on December 11th.

Ottawa's Silver Creek swing by the Standard on November 27th.

Jon and Roy are booked as the opening act for Cat Empire's November 24th gig at the Garrick.

The 5th annual Quinzmas, featuring resident favs Quinzy, of course, takes place on December 11th and 12th at the WECC.

Singer-songwriter James Keelaghan is there on January 29th.

David Francey pops by the WECC on February 23rd.

Tim Sparks and Phil Heywood will materialize April 21st at the WECC.

John Mann's November 21st show at the WECC has been canceled.

And finally, the delightful Amelia Curran kick-starts both Skydiggers' shows this weekend at the WECC.

Infinite Playlist: Stars - Heart

11 Questions With...Matthew de Zoete

Rising folk-pop star Matthew de Zoete is paying a visit to our mighty fine city on Sunday, November 15th. Performing at the Edge Gallery with localite Katie Murphy, de Zoete will showcase his warm and breezy and very alluring tunes off Bottom of the World, his second Long Player.

I asked 11 Qs to de Zoete and he cheerfully provided 11 A’s. Topics mentioned: his pick for album-of-the-year (Al Tuck’s Food for the Moon); the instrumental essential to his live show (a Rickenbacker 360V64) and the team he thinks is going to take home Lord Stanley’s Cup this year (Detroit Red Wings).

After losing handily to the Leafs on national tv Saturday night (the Leafs!), I’m not so sure the Wings’ll make it to the big dance this year. But it’s a loooong season…

1. Where are you right now?

At the computer in the living room of my house. There's a fire in the wood stove, and a cat sleeping on the chair - so i can't complain.

2. Where is your favourite place in Canada to play a gig?

I'd have to say Halifax as the drive out there is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the shows are always good.

3. What’s one piece of equipment absolutely essential to your live show?

My Rickenbacker 360V64. I like that guitar.

4. What are your top three, all-time, desert-island records?

The Kinks - The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
Otis Redding - The Immortal Otis Redding
The Who - Live at Leeds

5. What’s your pick for album-of-the-year so far?

Al Tuck Food for the Moon

6. What was the last great concert you saw?

Bidiniband (Dave Bidini), June 11, 2009, at the Casbah Lounge in Hamilton, ON.

7. Who is one producer, alive or dead, that you’d just love to work with?

David Bowie. Oh man, the aforementioned cat just barfed on the chair and the floor. Maybe she doesn't like Bowie.

8. Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart?

Jon Stewart

9. Which team is going to win the Stanley Cup this year?

The Detroit Red Wings. I've been a fan since my Dad immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 1957 and picked them as his team, so I don't have much choice.

10. What book(s) are you currently reading?

The Wayfinders by Wade Davis and Wild Blue by Dan Bortolotti (a natural history of blue whales).

11. And finally…who’s your favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael?

Michelangelo. When we'd play with our actions figures, I was always Michelangelo while my older brother was always Leonardo.

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Infinite Playlist: Julie Doiron - I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day

Watch Things on VCRs, With Me

As noted many many weeks back, Champion (aka DJ Champion) & His G-Strings are rolling through these unseasonably warm parts on Saturday for a gig at the Pyramid. The good folk over at Maple Music have sent along some cds for giveaway plus a spot on the guest list (+1) for Saturday night’s sure-to-be-killer performance.

Prize #1 – A copy of Champion’s Resistance cd AND a spot on the guest list (+1)

Prize #2 – A copy of Champion’s Resistance cd

To enter, shoot me a quick email (on the right) by noon Friday with “Champion Giveaway” in the subject line and your name in the body of the email. I’ll draw the winners shortly after. Oh and the show is 18+, so if your not of legal age yet, let me know and I'll enter you for the second prize only.

Oh, and congrats to Amy and Holly on winning the Rutledge/McClelland prizes. I'll get those out to you asap.

Infinite Playlist: The xx - S/T

Quantum Physics

The Santa-Claus-like generous folks over at Six Shooter and the WECC are giving away some awesome Justin Rutledge/Melissa McClelland-related schwag exclusively to readers of Painting Over Silence!

Giveaway #1

1. Two guest-list spots for the Justin Rutledge/Melissa McClelland show @ the WECC on Tuesday, November 10th.
2. Justin Rutledge – Man Descending cd
3. Melissa McClelland - Victoria Day cd
4. A silk-screen poster (see above photo)

Giveaway #2

1. Justin Rutledge – Man Descending cd
2. Melissa McClelland - Victoria Day cd


To enter, fire me an email by noon on Monday, November 9th (address on the side) with the subject line "Rutledge/McClelland Give Away", include your full name in the body of the email, and just for fun answer this question:

What's your favourite album of 2009 so far?

A couple other things:
1. Winners will be drawn randomly by me and then notified on Monday at around 12:30. You can only win once.
2. One entry per person.
3. I have four contests lined up for November, and it’s possible a few may overlap. Feel free to enter all of them, but please adhere to condition #2 per contest.

Good luck!


***
Whilst on the subject of favourite albums of 2009 so far, I’m planning on running a 2009 version of the Painting Over Silence blog readers’ pool, so start brainstorming your favourite records! More details to come.

Personally, I think Phoenix will secure the top spot on my list. Or maybe Volcano Choir. Wait, no, Phoenix. Then again, maybe the xx will. Argh!

***

Whilst on the subject of lists…for the second year in a row, Matthew over at i(heart) music kindly invited me to take part in his annual “hottest bands in Canada” poll and has recently posted the results. There are some fantastic acts on the list that I shamefully haven’t heard yet, but have since fallen for (like Dan Mangan and Handsome Furs). Check it out if you have time!

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And finally, some show happenin’s:

Jets Overhead are the opening act for Lights’ November 19th show at the Garrick.

Greg Crowe & The Scarlett Union, the Stiff Bishops and the Johnstones’s will be at the Park Theatre on November 28th.

The annual JP Hoe Holiday Show at the Park Theatre has been booked for the 18th and 19th of December. I went last year and it was a bona fide blast. Fred Penner read Harry & The Hendersons between songs in his alluring storyteller voice, which was 31 flavours of awesome.

Royal Wood hits the Park Theatre on November 25th w/ Rose Cousins.

Blue Rodeo has booked an evening’s sojourn at the MTS Centre on January 17th.

Illscarlett rock the Garrick on December 11th. USS will help out.

Joe Pug drops by the Park Theatre on January 23rd.

Infinite Playlist: Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice

múm - Live At The Pyramid

It’s not everyday the band holding a commanding first place lead on your personal last.fm page comes to town, so, naturally, múm’s first-ever appearance in the Peg instilled in me enormously high expectations. Fortunately, the show matched my lofty designs. Almost.

My only complaint was the set list leaning too heavily on new material - it would’ve been great to hear more of the spacious, ethereal tunes from past-singer Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir's era (incl. ‘02’s Finally We Are No One and ‘04’s Summer Make Good). The new female singers certainly have the golden pipes for that stuff.

One unanticipated bonus from the post-Kristin-era-heavy set was watching/hearing the band reconstruct the meticulous sonic detail of the two most recent records (‘07’s Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy and August’s Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know). Mournful cellos, wheezing melodicas, skittish drumming, guitars, bountiful boy-girl harmonies, and even cue cards were expressively deployed. It was mesmerizingly textured.

The highlight for me, though, came during the single-song encore when the band played the stunning moodscaper “Green Grass of Tunnel,” one of only two songs not off Go Go… and Sing Along…. It would’ve been great to hear more past staples like “We Have a Map of the Piano,” “I’m 9 Today” or “Slow Bicycle”, but there’s always next time. After all, co-founder Orvar (middle photo) did say, “We are very happy to be in Winnipeg for the first time. Hopefully it isn’t our last” And, well, I believe him.

Set List (to the best of my knowledge) -
1. Illuminated
2. If I Were A Fish
3. Marmalade Fires
4. A Little Bit Sometimes
5. (Unsure)
6. Hullaballabalu
7. The Smell Of Today Is Like Sweet Breast Milk
8. Show Me
9. Nightly Cares
10. Blessed Brambles
11. Dancing Behind My Eyelids
12. They Made Frogs Smoke ‘Til They Explode
13. Prophecies Reverse Memories
14. Sing Along

Encore
1. Green Grass Of Tunnel

Sin Fang Bous, also from Iceland, was one of two openers. Their short set was enjoyable: sleek and squeaky clean indie-pop. Prior to them classically-trained cellist Hildur Gudnadottir performed several intense cello pieces. Loved that too (sorry, no photos).

Infinite Playlist: My Morning Jacket - Z

In These Words We Drown

Legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy pays a visit to the Burt on April 12th w/ Jonny Lang.

Hamilton-based singer-songwriter Matthew de Zoete is playing the Edge Gallery on November 15 w/ Katie Murphy.

Tiësto (formerly known as DJ Tiësto) is laying down some tracks off his latest longplayer Kaleidoscope at the U of W's Duckworth centre on Remembrance Day. Zounds! I just learned Jonsi from Sigur Ros guests on Kaleidoscope. Bloc Party Captain Kele Okereke, too. I highly doubt they'll be with him, though.

Speaking of Iceland...a reminder to those attending múm on Friday night at the Pyramid: the gig is an early one. Doors @ 7; Show @ 8; Over by 10:30. This is, of course, unprecedented for the Pyramid, especially on a weekend.

See you there!

Infinite Playlist: múm - Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know

11 Questions With...Todd Hunter

With his devastatingly personal debut solo cd Star earning rave reviews – the Winnipeg Sun recently awarded it four stars – and national university radio stations inserting the highly cathartic record into their rotation, local singer-songwriter Todd Hunter easily qualifies as “one to watch.” The accolades are well-deserved. Star is intimate, wholly realized and smartly produced (by both Todd and ’09 Western Canadian Music Awards Nominee Mike Petkau).

I recently had the pleasure of firing 11 questions at Todd. His responses are fun and thoughtful: he gives a shout out to Winnipeg fav Greg MacPherson, notes why the West End is the premier venue in the Peg, and admits to be a bit obsessed with Evil Dead: 2 at one point in his life.


1. Where are you right now?

In front of a computer, thinking of answers.

2. Where is the best venue in Winnipeg to play a gig?

There are several, but I’ve always enjoyed playing at the West End Cultural Centre the most – great stage, great sound, great audience.

3. What is the worst bus route in the city?

I haven’t taken that many, but I remember loathing the bus I had to transfer to from the Transcona (47?) route to get to the U of M. I think it was route 75? The wait always seemed interminable, and the ride seemed to take even longer…

4. Who is your favourite local band/musician?

Greg MacPherson. Besides being a great guy and a good friend, he’s got more raw talent and conviction in his bones than anyone else.

5. What are your top three, all-time, desert-island records?

I’m going to cheat by choosing compilations: THE STORY OF SLADE, 50000 FALL FANS CAN’T BE WRONG, and ROLLING STONES: THE LONDON YEARS.

6. Who is one producer, alive or dead, that you’d just love to work with?

John Leckie. He’s produced more music I fell in love with than any other producer. Through a music forum, I was fortunate enough recently to have him respond to a query I sent him regarding Cowboy Junkies’ Miles From Our Home.

7. Of the albums you own, which has the best cover art?

TOOL’s Aenima.

8. If Winnipeg were awarded an NHL team, what name would you propose?

The Winnipeg Supercuddlysnugglebumpkins. THEN hockey will be great family entertainment!

9. PC or Mac?
Gentlemen prefer Mac (and so do I).

10. What’s one film you watch over and over again?

I used to watch Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn over and over again, but after about 30 viewings or so, I think I’ve finally outgrown it.

11. And finally…who’s your favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael)?

Raphael.

Infinite Playlist: Flight of the Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky