Weekend Music Roundup: April 11-13

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.

WAREHOUSE PARTY w/ Silkken Laumann & Cabaal at Gabba Hey!

Photo: Matías Muñoz

Gabba Hey! was so full last Saturday night that I couldn’t see through to the back. The lack of visibility inspired me and the friends I was with to spend the duration of Cabaal’s opening set debating whether or not Cabaal were on yet (I was convinced the DJ was just playing a really long song). I wasn’t able to fully appreciate Cabaal as I had no idea they were performing, but I think they sounded pretty good.

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.

Something Wicked This Way Came @ The Black Sheep: Suuns & Scattered Clouds

Suuns, a dark, psych-electro journey into rock, played at the Black Sheep Inn on Sat., March 29. Photo credit: Ming Wu

 

Making your way to the Black Sheep Inn is always an adventure, often simply based on the music you will hear there. On Saturday, March 29, attendees were lucky enough to hear the experimental & experiental collide as Suuns & Scattered Clouds took the stage.

Weekend Music Roundup: Mar. 27 – 30

For full event listings, click here.

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.

Peach Kelli Pop, Average Times, Astral Gunk, and Pale Lips at Gabba Hey!

Peach Kelli Pop (Photo: Andrew Carver)

The Montreal-based Pale Lips kicked off Saturday’s Peach Kelli Pop-headlined show at Gabba Hey! I had no set expectations for this band since they are very new and I’d never heard their songs before, but I found it easy to get swept up in their energy. It helped that I was with friends who had never seen a punk band before and seemed to be having a good time, which really added to the experience.

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: