TORONTO - The 15th edition of Toronto's North By Northeast music fetival (NXNE) launches tonight, but frankly it's hard to wrap your head around 500 bands in 50 venues -- including free shows at Yonge-Dundas Square -- between now and the weekend (not to mention the accompanying film festival and conference).
Check out nxne.com for detailed info and my guide below to 10 things worth checking out.
It's hardly definitive but it's a start.
1. Spinnerette
Rock chicks don't get much better than Aussie-born punk pin-up Brody Dalle, formerly of The Distillers. She has been called a cross between Pink and Joan Jett. Dalle's new rock outfit takes the stage at the Mod Club on Friday night at 10 p.m. You've been warned.
2. Still Life Still
Indie label Arts & Crafts (Feist, Broken Social Scene) hosts two consecutive nights of shows at the Courthouse tonight and Thursday, both with midnight surprise guests. On the second night their latest signing from East York -- Still Life Still who some are calling the new BSS -- take the stage at 10 p.m. SLS have a new album, Girls Come Too, out Aug. 25, co-produced by (surprise, surprise!) Kevin Drew of BSS.
3. Bahamas
This image-evoking stage name of Afie Jurvanen, best known for his work with Feist, Jason Collett, The Stills and Hayden, doesn't jibe with his sound, which has been described as M. Ward-meets-J.J. Cale. It will be on full display at Supermarket Friday night at 10 as part of the Nevado Records showcase. The new Bahamas album, Pink Strat, featuring Feist among others, is due July 21.
4. Slim Twig
His long, lean physique and imposing pompadour led to one of the best stage names in Canadian music this side of the Rockies. The dark-minded, fantasy-loving Torontonian, who is the son of fringe filmmakers, merges experimentation with pop for surprising results. He plays no fewer than three shows, including tonight at the Gladstone at 10, Friday night at 8 at Preloved, and a surprise show later Friday night at an unnamed venue.
5. The Warped '45s
Does it get any cooler than a 1 a.m. slot on Saturday night at Ossington hipster joint the Dakota Tavern? Check out this local alt-country outfit, who have a debut CD, 10-Day Poem For Saskatchewan, coming out in the fall. Frontman Dave McEathron and his cousin Ryan Wayne McEathron apparently spent summers jamming with family and friends in the ancestral cabin in Algonquin Park.
6. Johnny Cash At The Folsom Prison
Anticipation is high for the Canadian premiere on Friday night at 7 at The Bloor Cinema of this Bestor Cram-directed documentary about The Man In Black's famous 1968 concert -- or as the press blurb calls it, "the single most imporant day in his career"-- and subsequent live record. Interviews include such famous folk as Merle Haggard, Rosanne Cash, Marty Stuart, and unpublished photos by Jim Marshall.
7. Deep Dark Woods
This harmony-heavy alt-country-folk ouftit, who play The Dakota on Friday at 10 p.m. in support of their third album, Winter Hours, sound like The Band if they came out of Saskatoon in 2009. Mind you, their dark lyrics conjure up another time and place and it ain't pretty. Still, they are fine song craftsmen.
8. Band Of Skulls
This trio of hard-rock bluesmakers from Southampton, including the Mick Jagger-sounding vocalist-guitarist Russell Marsden, play two shows on Friday (opening for Spinnerette at 9 p.m at the Mod Club) and Saturday (11 p.m. at The El Mo at the MySpace Party.) Their debut is called Baby Darling Dollface Honey, and bassist-vocalist Emma Richardson's artwork is based on paintings in an exhibition called Meat Me at the Butchers.
9. Esser
This 23-year-old British subject of a label bidding war -- real name Ben Esser of Essex -- makes his Canadian debut at Wrongbar tonight at 11 leading up to the July 21 Canadian release of his homemade debut disc of electronic pop-hip-hop songs, Braveface. The buzzed-about artist has already opened for Kaiser Chiefs on their arena tour.
10. Put The Boot In
This charity soccer match at BMO Field on Sunday afternoon starts at 1:30 and pits the Rockers, like Barenaked Ladies' Jim Creeggan, against the Rollers, i.e. members of the media including Citytv weatherman Michael Kuss. All proceeds go to support Right To Play and this year's fundraising goal is $5,000.
