I didn’t get off work until midnight last night, meaning I missed Taylor’s big gig, but I still made it to the Tranzac afterwards for the latest OOTS presents show. Luckily that seemed to be where most people ended up after the Timber Timbre show so I was still able to see some friends, which is key. I missed the first few acts (Chris Yang and Gavin Gardiner) but got there just in time to see Guelph’s Richard Laviolette, whose quiet masterpiece A Little Less Like a Rock, a Little More Like a Home was a favourite of mine a few years back, and who I last saw at SappyFest about a year ago. However, in stark contrast to that show, yesterday Richard was backed up by his new-ish band (well, it was the first time I’ve seen them) the Hollow Hooves, who brought some welcome muscle to his fragile sounding songs. It was a very different performance tham I’m used to him putting on, but I liked it all the same.

I ducked out after a few tunes to catch up with some friends outside, but hopefully it’s not another year before I see Richard again.

I hope Nils doesn’t cut off my balls for posting this video. It’s from way back in March at a house party during Canadian Music Fest, and they were playing at about 3 AM. As you can see, I was literally standing two feet away from them so the sound ain’t too great (not that it was much better in person). This was their third show that day and they were (self-admittedly) a little sloppy. Still, I think there is some value in sharing this video with y’all. The Rural Alberta Adavantage have been receiving a lot of attention lately, starting last fall when their self-released record Hometowns (which the band had been selling at shows in handmade packaging for several months) was featured on eMusic, a website that I wasn’t too familiar with but which apparently has quite a few users. That raised their profile significantly and soon they were playing successful shows in New York and at SXSW, which I was lucky enough to attend.

Yes, seeing them play to a packed church in Austin, Texas was quite special, especially since the first time I saw The RAA was in my hometown of Oshawa at the Velvet Elvis way back in November 2006. While the size of the venue and audience has changed, one thing that hasn’t changed at all in the last three years is the music – it’s still the same three people playing the same songs with the same instruments (I assume). That’s why I was so happy to see Hometowns get rereleased last week all across North America (on vinyl to boot!) care of Omaha, Nebraska’s Saddle Creek records. It’s a great record that faithfully captures their live performances while adding nice flourishes and here and there to flesh out their sound. The songs are memorable and the lyrics are heartfelt – it really couldn’t be a better representation of their music. It’s a nice story that I witnessed first-hand which shows that sometimes things don’t happen overnight. That’s why you’ve gotta stick with it people!

For bonus points, check out this “interview” I did with Nils back in ‘06 (a good year).

This is my friend John playing last month at the Rivoli as part of NXNE. He goes by Diamond Rings, which I think is just an awesome handle, don’t you? Anyway, I came across this video on YouTube. It was actually shot by the Rivoli, and if you’re watching it expecting the camera angle to change or for someone to at least zoom in, you’ll be disappointed. However, what it lacks in exciting visuals, it makes up for in fantastic sound! I’m posting this to get people excited for a few things: First off, Diamond Rings has a split 7″ coming out in a few weeks with another favourite of mine, PS I Love You from Kingston. Secondly, we just made a music video for his contribution, called “All Yr Songs.” That’ll be dropping alongside the record in mid-August, if not sooner! Shazam!

You can see more videos from the same show here. And there’s a very in-depth feature on Diamond Rings over at Steel Bananas, so check that out too!

Today when I got home from work I learned of the passing of Michal Majewski. Going to shows in Oshawa, you just knew Michal. His artwork adorned countless show posters and his presence was guaranteed at every good concert no matter who was playing. I think I first met him at the Polish Hall (where he often put on shows), but I honestly can’t remember our first encounter. Either way, going to as many shows as I did meant I’d see Michal most weekends, and we would always chat for a while. I was always curious about what he was up to, since his work was just so inspiring to me. Looking back at my own show posters from that time, there are many instances where I tried to copy his style. If he noticed, he never said anything. I truly believe he had more than enough talent to really get known for his work one day if he wanted to. No doubt.

The only time I ever actually commissioned something from Michal was the last year we did the Hometown Hoedown, December 2007. We had all the bands booked, but the shows were quickly approaching and we didn’t have a poster. I hesitantly emailed him asking if he could quickly make some posters for us, thinking it was kind of obnoxious to email him with no warning asking for a complicated poster to be done in such a short amount of time. To my surprise and delight, Mike said he’d do it, and a few days later I met him in the parking lot of the Elvis on one of the coldest damn days of the year to pick up the posters from him. He didn’t need to do that, he had other stuff on his plate. Instead, he helped us out, enormously. That’s just they kind of person he was.

Rest in peace Majewski.

Take a look at some more of his amazing work here.

Yesterday, after I “launched” my new website, I realized that I didn’t have anything new to post. Thankfully I uncovered this gem that I shot last month during NXNE.  I wasn’t able to take in too many shows that week due to my work schedule, but Casey and Jonas we’re playing right across the street at Whippersnapper so I ducked out and caught a few tunes, including this one – a boisterous take of the track “Thunderlove” from Ohbijou’s new album Beacons. It was a lot of fun seeing them play together, they should do it more often. Evening Hymns have an album called Spirit Guides pretty much in the can, so hopefully we’ll have it in our hands by the end of the year. I’ve heard a bit of it, sounds pretty epic.

So, thanks for stopping by. Let’s see where this takes us.

I’m struggling coming up with anything to say here. I shot this last month when Woods played at Soundscapes. Watch the video, if you like it, there are two more here.

I shot this the other day with one of my favourite Canadian bands, Dog Day, who just released their second album Concentration. They were staying at someone’s house near Christie Pits, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring them to the park for their performance. They told me they’ve never played acoustically before, but you wouldn’t know it by this video! I actually brought the keyboard, and this was the first take we did, so I’d say they nailed it!

As for Soundcheck, I think we’ll be taking a break for a little while. Thanks to everyone who has been watching and sharing these videos, I really appreciate all the support. Keep checking back because I’ll still be posting plenty of other rad stuff as often as I can. Peace out.

Here’s another video of Attack in Black playing live. It was my third time seeing them live in one month, and definitely the smallest venue I’ve seen them play in (the last two times were at the Horseshoe and Massey Hall). This one was an unannounced show (a fundraiser for a friend actually), with the rest of the bill rounded out by Blackburn, Wayne Petti, Sarah Harmer, Travis Good, and Greg Keelor. Needless to say, the boys kept it pretty low-key, though they still rocked pretty hard. Van beers followed. Hope to visit ‘em in Montreal sometime soon.

Jim Bryson is a really friendly guy and I had fun making this video. He was a good sport despite fighting off a cold. I saw him at SappyFest last year and really dug his mellow vibe. I think I was able to capture what makes him special with this video. His tidy answers and wonderful performance didn’t hurt though.