Postelle-mania
Opening up for The Kooks at the Sound Academy on Wednesday, Nov. 23, are The Postelles. This New York city-based band put in a sizzling set at the North by Northeast music festival earlier this year and have been on a roll over the summer. The band, fronted by the gregarious lead singer Daniel Balk, play an upbeat style of garage rock with major influences from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Not that The Kooks aren’t a good enough reason to head down for the show. The U.K. band’s infectious indie pop sound has garnered significant acclaim overseas and a growing fan base here in North America.
For a stripped down version of The Postelles’ “White Night,” off their self-titled debut album, go here:
Kathleen Edwards and Hannah Georgas announce tour
Alt-country dream team of Toronto singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards and Hannah Georgas, originally from Newmarket, have announced plans to tour together beginning in late January including a date in Toronto on Feb. 11 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.
For Edwards, the tour is in support of her new album, Voyageur, out on Jan. 17. The first track of the record, released by Maple Music in Canada, “Change the Sheets,” is killer, and is available here:
Lowest of the Low light
Ron Hawkins and Stephen Stanley, the front dudes of Canadian indie rockers Lowest of the Low — and some of the finest songwriters this city has produced— have just announced their annual Blue Moon Six series. The shows, which have become something of an annual tradition for fans of the Toronto musicians, are set for Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at Graffiti’s in Kensington Market. Tickets are $25 a pop, but considering they’ll likely blast through a bazillion of your favourite tunes in a beer-fuelled musical marathon, it seems like a fair price.
And If you don’t believe me about the whole best in the city thing, here is one of Hawkins’s best live from Graffiti’s. Sorry about the quality… don’t blame me!
Andy Kim Christmas show announces special guests
In what has turned out to be one of the city’s coolest holiday traditions, the 7th Annual Andy Kim Christmas Show, slated for Dec. 14 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, announced the special guests for this year’s rendition. They include Rush’s Alex Lifeson, along with Ron Sexsmith, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning from the recently defunct Broken Social Scene. I like to think of Andy as Canada’s own Neil Diamond. Check him out in full ‘70s splendour singing his mega-hit "Rock Me Gently."
Album of the week: Act III: Love Will Ruin by Neverending White Lights
The brainchild of Daniel Victor, Act III is the third in a series of conceptual albums by Neverending White Lights. It hit shelves Nov. 15, and Victor appears at The Drake Hotel in Toronto on Nov. 21 and 22. Always inventive, Victor’s previous efforts garnered significant critical acclaim along with a Juno nomination and a Much Music Video Award for Best Independent Video of the Year. As in previous efforts, Victor has enlisted some fine players to help bring his ideas for fruition such as Dallas Green, Lights and The Midway State. On the new record, Hot Hot Heat helps out on “Ghost Ship,” along with Victor’s sidekick Bed of Stars. It is a huge, sprawling, synthed-out affair that would have rocked the world in the early ‘80s… or so I gather. Ahem. Hopefully it finds an audience, and Victor takes the next step in his evolving career. He’s a serious talent.
Rock ‘n’ roll tweet of the week
This one comes from Kathleen Edwards, a.k.a @kittythefool, on Nov. 11: “I got drunk and downloaded Beth Orton’s records. The smartest thing I’ve done when I’m usually dumb-sauced.”
