Breakout West teams with Rifflandia
Western Canadian awards show opens nominations; event set for Victoria in September
Awards
Breakout West, which takes place in Victoria this year, Sept. 17-20, has teamed with the annual Rifflandia showcase.
The western Canadian awards show has opened nominations for all bands/acts to submit their work: breakoutwest.ca/2015-wcma/ guidelines-and-categories
The West Coast winners at the 18th Maple Blues Awards held Monday night in Toronto are Harpdog Brown, who shares his best harmonica player award with Guy Belanger; Brandon Isaak for best acoustic act and David Vest for best piano/keyboard player.
Benefits
Tamara Williamson has released Victoria, the first single from her eighth album, Sister, Mother, Daughter, Wife. Each track on the album tells the story of an individual woman. In the case of Victoria, it is about Victoria Montenegro, an Argentinian girl who was brought up by adoptive parents. As an adult she began searching for her birth parents. Victoria discovered her father was killed in a purge and her mother never was found. The songs can be heard on Soundcloud. All proceeds go to Amnesty International.
Relentless activist Joe Keithley is back with D.O.A. to perform a show called No Pipelines In B.C. His short B.C. protest tour includes six dates starting Jan. 30 and takes an aim directly at Kinder Morgan. Money raised is for the cost of legal defences. The Vancouver date is Jan. 31 at the Biltmore with Ford Pier, The Wilds with Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright, Aging Youth Gang, No Mothers and Remember Lite And Brite.
Reid Jamieson’s Afternoon Delight concert at Cottage Bistro, Feb. 15, will aid Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter.
CD of the week
If Dan Mangan is disturbed by what our society is doing to itself, his ominous feeling is mirrored in his new album, Club Meds. It’s also the first to credit his band Blacksmith. This makes sense as he’s toured with these musicians and a mutual understanding has developed. It’s not a solo songwriter telling hired musicians what to play; Blacksmith is contributing its own ideas. On this two-way street there is simpatico. It sounds as haunted as Mangan. There are washes of bleak noises on every track, over which is Mangan’s tremulous voice and a restrained but respectful backing by Blacksmith. It’s by no means a jolly record but it isn’t a complete downer either. It’s thoughtful and therefore more challenging than the usual singer-writer album.
News
Self-described as “Sufi-rock,” NaQsh has released its second single, Armaan. First single was Saajia.
The Vancouver and Victoria battles of the bands for Wacken are about to start. Wacken is the world’s biggest heavy metal festival and takes place July 30 to August 2 in Wacken, Germany. Playing off in Victoria at the Cambie Esquimalt are Krunch, Torrefy, Tribute, Scimitar, Fractured Anatomy (March 27). The Vancouver rounds at the Red Room are filled by Bushwacker, Firecult, Opus Arise, Crack Whore Saints Of Death (Mar. 1), Oxen, The Messiah Complex, My Own Chaos, Unbeheld, Precious Dudes (Mar. 8), Lung Flower, Brimstone, Kymatica, Harvest The Infection, Resurgence (Mar. 15), King Coyote, Elysium Echoes, Slagduster, Among The Betrayed, Medevil (Mar. 27).
Robyn McCorquodale’s multimedia concert, Diary Of A Piano Girl was nominated for an Ovation Award. Ovation celebrates achievement in musical theatre.
Crystal Pistol are saying so long with a final gig that includes Nim Vind, Starboys, Toxiks, Glorywhore, Smash Alley, Feb. 14 at the Rickshaw.
Roy Forbes has a new album, Strikin’ Matches, which he features at St. James Hall, Jan. 24.
Irish Rovers say so long to touring with a final show at the Massey Theatre, Mar. 13. The concert caps the group’s 50th anniversary. A commemorative CD is a triple with 20 new songs and a 28-page booklet.
Gay Nineties is a week away from releasing the EP, Liberal Guilt. For those who can’t wait to hear it, the band is giving away advance copies with a purchase of the single, Letterman.
Seven Dining Lounge once more hosts Mashed Poetics. The usual theme is that a band performs tracks from a specific album followed by a poet inspired by the preceding track. This time, it’s movie songs and includes those from Top Gun, Saturday Night Fever, Rock And Roll High School, James Bond and Shaft. Jan. 30.
City Walls (formerly Louder Than Love) has a new LP, Engines. Gig: Jan. 30.
Ocean Full Of Fins has an album, Backyardia, out Feb. 2.
Scott McLeod is due to release his second Big Top album.
The Shadbolt Centre presents The Keith Richards One Woman Show, which explores one woman’s infatuation with The Rolling Stones and Keith in particular.
The first blast from The Wild! is Party Til You’re Dead.
Gigs
Steph Cameron sings songs from her great Sad-eyed Lonesome Lady (Jan. 24, Railway Club).
Port Coquitlam’s Sunday Coffee Concerts has returned for its sixth year with The Wheat In Barley appearing Jan. 29 (Terry Fox Theatre).
Incura, Ellice Blackout, Pedwell, No Operator (Jan. 31, Joe’s Apartment). Sands (Feb. 6, China Cloud). Petunia and The Vipers with Miss Quincy (Feb. 6, Imperial Room).
Jesus Krysler, 50210, Danny Echo, Graham Brown Band, Mad Dog Duo (Feb. 7, Imperial Room).
The Real McKenzies (April 11, Rickshaw Theatre).