As I continue onward with my NXNE 'bands to watch while drinking alcohol' list, I continue to come across snags in the scheduling. There are so many killer acts playing down the street from each other at the same time. The proximity of location means nil in these situations. The upshot is that there are enough bands to go around. These two bands are going to be difficult for me to get to, but that's due neither in part to our lack of ambition, nor our desire to break a lot of stuff when these two acts play.
Our writer Rob located NYC rockers The Vandelles well over a year ago, and they'll be playing at Comfort Zone on 6/15 at 10 sharp. Actually, I think there's a good bedtime story involving Rob, The Vandelles, a couple of goats, and a Trigonometry textbook (you'll have to ask Sir Robert). As I check in, I see that the band is still filling rooms with sound and energy, complete with all of the fixins' of rock n' roll attitude. "Lovely Weather" is filled with darkly echoing vocals, thirty decibels of rattlesnake sounds, and bone-crunching riffs. How this song did not make it to all four corners of the internet universe in 2009 is beyond me. This is your gift today. Download, pour a few shots of bourbon, and turn up your stereo.
The Vandelles – Lovely Weather
Red Mass is a new one to me, but some initial reading (and a quick glance at the unsettling photo above) suggests that there's a bunch of humans in the band. This is bonus, because the studio work transmits a heavy presence. Punk-laced and distortion driven, these guys and dolls give me the sneaky suspicion they are the bee's knees live. The chorus of talented members are actually gristled punk veterans, coming from bands like CPC Gangbangs, Hot Springs, and Sunday Sinners. I don't always flock to indie supergroups, but I think it's usually more successful when vets get together and simplify (a la Obits). Red Mass isn't a groundbreaker; what it is, however, (in much the same vein as The Vandelles) is exactly the type of music I want to hear this weekend. Garage rock that sticks to a formula that works. No shoegaze. No sullen introspection. No indie darling distance. In all of the madness that is the blog-race, I swear to Zeus that too many people neglect straightforward rock 'n' Roll. It will always work, and it's a safe bet next week in Toronto that I'll show up at these kinds of shows, as opposed to the flavor of the month. Check out Red Mass in one of two occasions throughout the week. 6/15 they're playing The Horseshoe Tavern, and on 6/17, they play at The Great Hall alongside Swervedriver. Big ups to the band for landing that gig. Someone's booking some quality backers for the big Swervedriver event.
