Fundraisers to help musical kids
CONCERTS: Instruments Beyond Borders hosts benefit show; CannaFest coming
Instruments Beyond Borders holds a benefit, May 13 at the Milton and Fei Wong Theatre, SFU Woodward’s, with Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond among the rising new acts.
IBB refurbishes old instruments and recycles others for the instruction of Third World children.
Closer to home is the new Mighty Hughs Foundation, a collection of local musicians seeking to offer music to special needs children. Spearheading the drive is singer Chris Trigg who has been teaching his special needs daughter to sing and play. A concert April 23 at the Roxy aims to raise money.
News
Zaac Pick releases Constellations, April 14, and is at The Fox Theatre on April 28.
After five years exploring other artistic avenues, Rodney Decroo is back with Campfires On The Moon, April 28. His seventh album will be kicked off with a tour that starts April 16 at the Fox.
Children’s act, Rockin’ Robin And The Magic Tree, have a video of single Firetruck Firetruck.
While the opposition to Bill C-51 mounts, No Fun is playing the devil’s advocate as usual. It argues that good, timeless rock needs adversity to fuel it. Bill C-51 very briefly is a clash between human rights and national security. In No Fun’s view, go Stephen Harper, go. Rock needs you, even if C-51 gets pushed through and you therefore are in a position to upset national security. Is this irony?
Meanwhile, No Fun is converting its many old cassettes to compact discs. The Ghost Paper Boy will live again.
Hilary Grist’s second album is Come And Go. The video of the title track follows a hopeful door-todoor salesman on his soul-destroying path.
Big John Bates welcomes May with his album, From The Bestiary To The Leathering Room. May 1 at the Hindenburg.
The Vancouver finals leading to the world heavy-metal showdown this summer in Wacken, Germany, is April 10 at the Rickshaw. Competing for a place in the Canadian finals in Toronto in June are Bushwackers, Unbeheld, Resurgence, Medevil and Victoria’s Torrefy.
Weed has been streaming its Running Back LP on Stereogum. The album is out Tuesday. The band is finishing up an eastern tour of Canada and the U.S.
Daniel Wesley reports that he is going back to his troubadour roots on his I Am Your Man, due May 5. First single, Shake, though, sounds like it has an African foundation. Worked for Paul Simon on his Graceland.
On its 10th anniversary, the first Black Mountain album is being reissued with eight bonus tracks by Jagjaguwar. The album will be available as double on coloured vinyl and also as a CD. Black Mountain is at Malkin Bowl on June 6.
Topical and timely, Kick In The Eye has another instant single. Going Clear presents a journalistic take on Scientology. A key line is “organized religion is not for me,” which should provide enough scope for an independent decision.
How this works is anybody’s guess. Crystal Precious has an EP called Stripshop. The East Van Digital release combines Crystal’s music training with her background in burlesque.
The River And The Road is new to MapleMusic and will release Headlights, May 12, and will be at the Biltmore, May 30.
Dropping influences everywhere, No Island releases its Better Days, April 21 and is at the Media Club, April 25.
The Yellow Bird Project, acts covering other acts including a song by Dan Mangan is out April 14 on Mangan’s Madic label.
Limblifter breaks a long silence April 7 with Pacific Milk.
Randy Bachman is dropping the Randy for his latest project, Heavy Blues. Joining Bachman on this latest release, April 14, are Neil Young, Joe Bonamassa and Robert Randolph.
CD of the Week
Somehow, The Garage knew a couple living in Horsefly would be folkies. For their third LP, A Wanderer I’ll Stay, Pharis and Jason Romero sound both old and new.
That is, their music seems good and dusty and has a timelessness about it (hear Lonesome And I’m Going Back Home where folk meets wistful country) while the recording, packaging and presentation speaks of sophistication.
The duo heeds tradition, sticking devotedly to it while not trying to reinvent the wheel. In fact, the aforementioned Lonesome sounds like it was unearthed from trad roots.
Pharis sings with a purity while-- Jason, a luthier, keeps his acoustic backing simple and as pure in his way. When he adds harmony there is warmth. The two are supported by unobtrusive violin, pedal steel and a rhythm section that add a slight, tasteful dash of colour. At St. James Hall, April 10.
GIGS
Strong Sessions Live (featuring many acts on the comp, Strong Sessions, April 9, SFU Woodward’s).
Sophia Danai premières single and video, Daydreaming (April 9, Fortune Sound Club). Mike Edel (April 9, Biltmore). Tower Of Song (an appreciation of Leonard Cohen (April 10, Centennial Theatre).
Real McKenzies (with promising punk band The Isotopes, April 11, Rickshaw).
Roy Forbes (April 11, Blue Frog Studios).
John Mann (singing songs from his The Waiting Room, April 17, Chilliwack Cultural Centre).
Rune (self-described progressive-alternative) May 1, Roxy.)
FESTIVALS
The second CannaFest is at Grand Forks, Aug. 7 and 8 with a roster of classic rock (Lee Aaron, Doucette, Prism, Streetheart, Lou Gramm) supported by new indies Mad Dog, Whiskey Throttle, HEAD, Franklins Dealer. At James Donaldson Park.