The Yips release their new album Air Loom to the world and throw a massive party at Gabba Hey

 

My body aches. My shoulder feels like it was bent all the way back in the wrong direction. There are bruises on my arm and legs. These are the signs of one hell of a night shared between music fans, friends, and those looking to conjure out their inner demons through some good ol’ fashioned ouija rock. Ottawa’s The Yips amassed all these souls together at Gabba Hey! Saturday night for the release of their new LP Air Loom, put out on physical cassette tape and digital formats through Bruised Tongue.

I’ll avoid going too far into album review mode,  but you should go listen to Air Loom right here and decide how you feel about it. 

StillNative launch Indiegogo campaign and plan Black Keys tribute set to fund second LP, release live DVD

One of Ottawa’s foremost bluesy rock n’ roll groups, StillNative (CastleRock Recs), are doing things a little differently for their second full-length album. Like more and more artists seem to be doing, they’re taking the DIY approach and launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund it. Taking things into their own hands, StillNative seem to be doing everything right in order to build anticipation for the new record. Some perks available to fans willing to support their Indiegogo campaign are:

• $15 – A digital pre-release of the new album
• $25 – A signed physical album
• $30 – Signed physical album + digital copy
• $40 – An exclusive Patrick Steele EP
• $40 – A music lesson
• $40 – A B-sides and rarities DVD
• $100 – The whole package
• $200 – Prestige Package
• $250 – Studio Day
• $350 – House Show

For more details on the perks, go to StillNative’s campaign page. All dollar amounts are CAD.

Weekend Music Roundup: Apr. 3 – 6

Interview: Liam O’Neill of SUUNS

 

This past weekend Montreal electro-infused, psych-rock band Suuns (Secretly Canadian) played at Black Sheep Inn for the first time and treated us to their in-your-face sound. Their pulsating, unfettered sound was unforgettably penetrating to us in the quaint venue, and nothing was going to stop the music from making an impact on those who made it out that night. Joe wrote a great post on the night, which can be found here.

Ottawa’s A Tribe Called Red take home JUNO award

(Photo: Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

 

Ottawa’s own A Tribe Called Red just seem to keep getting more and more recognition for their groundbreaking music. On Sunday night the boys took home a JUNO award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, giving a great speech upon accepting the award.

Weekend Music Roundup: Mar. 27 – 30

For full event listings, click here.

Contest: Cafe Alt Concert Series Free Ticket Giveaway

 

We’re giving away a pair of tickets to the finale of Cafe Alt’s Concert Series tomorrow night (Friday, Mar.28), featuring the wondrous Silver Dapple (MTL shoegaze), Walrus (Halifax psych/experimental), and Chairs (MTL lo-fi psych/experimental). Cafe Alt is one of those neat little venues that we’re lucky to have here in Ottawa, and the Concert Series finale will be a great night of music.

Pony Girl & FEVERS @ Black Sheep Inn, Mar. 21

 

One thing we really love here at Ottawa Showbox are bills stacked with local bands. Yes, this night only had two bands playing, but two powerhouses of the Ottawa scene. Pony Girl and FEVERS are sure things, and the promise of a full night of top notch entertainment was planned out from the beginning.

Bosveld, David Newberry, and Jenny Berkel @ Sierra house show, Mar. 19

What better way to get over a mean St. Paddy’s hangover than a laid back house show? One of our favourite acts in Ottawa right now, Bosveld, invited me out to a small gathering of friends on Sierra Pvt. last Wednesday night.

Ottawa Explosion announces first wave of artists

Sick poster by Curtis Delaney (http://pizzatrip.tumblr.com)

Ottawa Explosion has announced its first round of bands for OXW happening on June 12-15 this year. The biggest news was that Spectrasonic and Explosion teamed up to book ex-Ottawa noise-rock, post-punk band METZ. No, METZ doesn’t give a shit about your eardrums, and neither does Explosion. It’s an ear-abusive relationship with this festival and that’s why we love them. Their show at Babylon in April of last year was one of my personal favourites, as each member takes their role to an extreme. Drummer Hayden Menzies attacks his drum set relentlessly throughout the entire set, while vocalist Alex Edkins busts arteries belting out words and Chris Slorach somehow makes noises come out of his bass that could easily get mixed up with a Boeing 747 jet engine. My mom went to Metz, France once. It has no semblance to the band. I will demonstrate this below: