Saturday night The Subtitles are sharing that stage at the Dock (on George St.) with Newfoundland’s ska/reggae army, Idlers.
It’s a benefit for the band as they are heading to Woodstock, New York in a few weeks to record their second full length album with Daryl Jenifer of the legendary Bad Brains.
I suggest coming early and staying late because these shows tend to be sweaty, boozy and packed with the most ridiculous sort of dancers and madmen.
Show time is 10ish – cover is probably about the same.
The United Steel Workers of Montreal are coming to St. John’s for a few nights thanks to the team at Mightypop. Their sound blends elements of folk and country with a somewhat punk esthetic creating what they call Citygrass. I have seen their live show a few times up in Canada and can understand why they chose 3 nights at CBTGs rather than a night at the Rockhouse – it’s more a more suitable venue for the “blue-colllar alt-rock” they will be playing.
The shows on Feb 13th, 14th and 15th at CBTGs are their first this far left and we should do what we can to get down for a show. Opening for them are Black Molly, The Angelshakes, and Saddle Hill respectively. So choose your night and iron your cowboy shirt.
My first run-in with Andrew Bird happened accidentally. I made a disc from my brother’s computer to bring to a dinner at a friend’s house – which is always nice because you get a selection of songs that you know but you can also peruse the itunes ‘play count’ to see what he’s been listening to the most (because it’s probably good unless the name of the band is the Yonder Hillside Manor Rambling Hootenanny Gobbler Brothers – which is probably good in its own right but just not appropriate dinner party music). Long story short: Andrew Bird’s “Imitosis” from “Armchair Aporcrypha” was on it.
Since then I’ve been a casual listener of the Chicago-born musician. More recently I came across his cover of The Handsome Family’s “Giant of Illinois”. From this new release, I remember everything I liked about Andrew Bird and, more importantly, the delicious Greek spread with which we filled our face-holes that summer night, not too long ago:
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I spent the majority of this weekend attending workshops on Export Readiness and SOCAN and while I came out of it with some new skills on talking to industry professionals and promoting music I also came out with a few new bands.
One was recommended to me by Waye Mason, director of the Halifax Pop Explosion, who encouraged me to go out and get the album – which I did.
The Western Civilization are an indie electroacoustic band from Austin, Texas. Their songs are pretty frigging sweet and at points sound like a happy electro version of Brand New but without the power pop.
Their myspace says “The Western Civilization…have managed to meld electronics, teenage heartbreak, and shimmery-sweet twee-pop into a melancholy, gorgeous whole that evokes the best moments of that whole Saddle Creek/Omaha scene while remaining pretty unique.. ”
Check them out:
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