Day three of Canadian Music Week got off to a reasonably slow start as we enjoyed one of the few sleep-ins of our trip, ahead of our usual slog of interviews and meetings. As we ran from one place to the next, however, I did manage to catch a couple of bands… albeit briefly. First up were Ontario’s own Sandman Viper Command (pictured below) at the CBC music social lounge, a four piece performing their garage pop via a short and sweet acoustic set… made all the more lo-fi by having the drummer propping a single drum on a chair and banging away on a crowded stage. You just never know what you’re going to see at Canadian Music Week, and this was quite enjoyable indeed.
Speaking of which, after I caught a bit of Michael Chugg chatting about his experiences on the road, I unexpectedly caught the end of a set at Sneaky Dee’s East Coast Music Awards daytime showcase. This set was from Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers. I’ve been hearing a lot about this Halifax based group while I’ve been in Toronto, and I can certainly understand why. With a packed out room in front of them, complete with an amazing beard in the hands of Ben Caplan, the whole crowd was singing and along, mesmerized by the band on stage. Ben seemed to have them in the palm of his hand. Quite an understated success for 6pm…
But as with any night at one of these festivals, it was all about the evening showcases, and tonight I split my time between two venues. First up, the Dine Alone/Jagermeister showcase at El Mocambo. I caught the closing notes of the fantastic Canadian group Dinosaur Bones as I entered the venue for the second consecutive night. The hometown band were playing their first of two shows tonight, bringing their popular brand of indie rock to a packed out room, who loved every minute of it.
New York artist Simone Felice (pictured above) and a three piece backing band were next on the upstairs stage at the venue, kicking off with a solo number. The violin, piano and drums were added in the second song, as his easy to digest Country folk tunes became more pronounced. Track “Radio Song” was good fun and guests Justin and Alison added some extra fair at the end of the set, when they threw in some additional viola and backing vocals on a song that sounded like “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”. With tastes of Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens thrown throughout, it seems that he’s looking in the right places for inspiration – and it serves him, his voice and his band very well indeed.
Next up were Hacienda, a four piece from San Antonio, Texas, last seen in Australia a few years back serving as Dan Auerbach’s backing band. With a good bit of the Hammond organ thrown in, the catchy rock stylings of Hacienda are reminiscent of Dan’s own… a fact no doubt accentuated by the fact that their forthcoming record Shake Down (much of which was previewed tonight) was produced by Auerbach himself. The record is due our June 19th, and this, along with their two prior records are definitely worth picking up. And given their performance tonight, I wouldn’t miss them when they tour Australia next either.
Hacienda are a tight, precise and energetic live act – that’s just about everything you need isn’t it? It helps that they have some great music to go along with it, too. “Shake It” was a fantastic track of the self confessed psychedelic variety, while new track “Don’t Turn Out The Light” impressed and “Doomsday” brought along some classic organ melodies and a great 70s vibe. Those in North America can check them out as they continue their tour around the continent as the support for Kasabian. They’ll even be back to Toronto next week!
Though the rest of the lineup looked fantastic, I decided to head back up to Sneaky Dee’s next, where Paradise Animals were sounding great as I entered, closing their set out with an instrumental jam. But it was Bear Hands (pictured below and in header) who I’d come to see, on hand to preview some new tracks and play some favourites off of their debut LP Burning Bush Supper Club.
The Brooklyn-based four piece is fronted by Dylan Rau, a man with a unique vocal style to say the least – and this does wonders to separate them from the back. “Belongings”, “What A Drag” and triple j favourite “Crime Pays” all were highlights of the set, but their new tracks shun brightly, too. Third song in was newbie “Giants”, featuring lots of synth and maracas, jangly jungle vibes on the guitars, and showed the band producing material a step up from their first record – and they haven’t even started recording it yet!
A song about Mary Jane, no doubt meant to be sung around a campfire, was enjoyed by the Canadian crowd, featuring the lyrics: “you can date or dance but if you have a little weed you’ll have romance”. Well, that’s straight to the point isn’t it? Great drumming in if you really want to. But the award for best song of the night had to go to the great beats and the good vibes of “Vietnam”. Just amazing.
If the excitable packed out room was anything to go by, all things are looking bright in Bear Hands future. However, following the closure of their local label Other Tongues, there’s no certain future in Australia for the band. Nonetheless, they hope to release the second record and tour Australia at some point over the next year. Stay tuned for the rest of our CMW coverage, and for our in person chat with Bear Hands as well as Hacienda and many more!
