To fill the limited time I have before I run the Flinstone wagon up to Canada, I'll post a few preview quick-hitters to get y'all primed for the festival. If a giant sphinx is keeping you from traveling next week, at least take these quick shots to the bank. These bands are on my quickly expanding radar, as I've been out of the loop for a little while, so bear with me. Between iced-espresso dranks and lots of cigarettes, I've managed to track down and peruse nearly all of the 650 bands that will converge on Toronto. Here are two:
Brothertiger is on the home team. I went to school in Athens, Ohio at Ohio University. The Toledo-raised Jon Jagos is situated in the small town on the Hocking River, spitting out a healthy arsenal of synth-laced and hollowed out arrangements, complete with the obligatory distant vocal delivery that his hefty peers, Washed Out, Memory Tapes, and Neon Indian have popularized over the last couple of years. I've always alluded to the chillwave movement as the 80's porn music movement. It's soothing with sexy, implied irreverence. Brothertiger has got all the chops of his peers, and a new album on the horizon after Toronto. Check out his track, "Like Water" below (thanks to Tympanogram for the tune), and hit Brothertiger's set at El Mocambo on Thursday, June 16th at 9 PM. We'll be the ones with post-coital cigarettes and zebra-colored spandex.
Pick A Piper is not my favorite band-name choice, but the tribal blitzkrieg and blazing energy erupting from the first few tracks I've heard allow me to leave that reservation in the dust. PAP is the focus of Caribou drummer, Brad Weber, and while the band is utterly brand new to me, the maturity and percussion-driven musicianship are absolutely spectacular. If the track below, "Dene Sled," hits as hard live as it does out of the recording studio, concertgoers are in for a treat. The track is angular, passionate, and pulsing from many directions. We simply do not hear enough music with drums carrying the tunes. Think White Rabbit with gnarled edges and less gleam. We've got a tough decision to make, with Pick A Piper hitting the stage the same time as We Are Wolves, but for the Caribou junkies, this one will be a must-see. The set is at The Garrison on Wednesday (well, Thursday, I guess), at 1 AM.
As we mentioned on Monday, all tickets, passes, wristbands, and information can be found at the NXNE website. Of course, you can still purchase your goodies in time for next week. Join us.
