O face

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

First off, before I rattle off the upcoming shows this week, let me hip you to a killer local release now seeing the light of day. Pipin’ hot off the presses is the debut LP from the pride of St-Henri, the O Voids. Released on vinyl by the tastemakers at Troubleman Unlimited, this self-titled debut should help reestablish the term “angular pop” in your vocabulary. By merging Wire and the Wipers with the current crop of no-wavers and others getting into bed with the early-’80s U.K. DIY scene, the O Voids really have a winner on their hands here. What makes this a more than worthy listen is the band’s grasp of when to lay down the discordant guitar arpeggios and when to just let melody and pop savvy sell the song. A perfect example of this is the Mission of Burma-sounding “Picture” and “White Hole.” If you need further proof, check out “White Hole” and “Light” at myspace.com/theovoids, and keep your eyes peeled here next week for an announcement of their record release show.

While I’m still doing a bit of hyping here, I also want to spill some ink on Vile Intent, who laid waste to the Green Room last week. Their Void cover seemed to be rather apt as they unleashed 15 minutes of chaotic spaz-core and power violence which threatened to careen off the rails (and occasionally did). Brutal blasts coupled with thundering thuds that were unquestionably crushing. Download their demo for free at vileintent.likeweeds.org/vivivi/.

DOPE SPRINGS MATERNAL: Sweet Mother Logic

Now that I’ve dedicated half of my allotted space to glad-handing, I’ll give you a breakneck look at the shows coming up this week, so buckle up. On Friday night, Shortpants Romance keep the ninth-anniversary festivities at l’Escogriffe rolling when they shear some heads off with their high-decibel pop, with guests les Hellcats. At la Sala Rossa on Friday night, you can get in on the Great Equinox Party with Akido, Sweet Mother Logic and the Coward & the Pelican. Akido is led by multi-instrumentalist Kim Gaboury, who expertly bridges electronic elements with rock, while Sweet Mother Logic prove to be no slouches either—led by a charge of cellos and vintage synthesizers, they’re just as comfortable playing Explosions in the Sky-style instrumentals as ’70s-flavoured prog.

Also happening Friday is the first night of a nameless two-day mini festival curated by Agnst Lngge. Things kick off at Lab Synthèse with the electroacoustic/experimental/improvised music of You Have Two Seconds, Vancouver’s Magneticring and Helsinki’s Marko Timlin. The second night of the fest moves over to Cagibi on Saturday with Louis Dufort, an encore from Timlin and New York’s Ensemble Pamplemousse.

A sure bet on Saturday night would be the sludge rock of Dutch Oven and Moncton’s fat bastards Iron Giant at Barfly. Full frontal nudity is guaranteed.

Saving the best for last, you are not to miss the first of Akron/Family’s two-night stand at Il Motore with Born Ruffians on Wednesday. As good as Akron/Family are on record, they need to be seen live to really bask in their brilliance.

GIVING YOU THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL LOWDOWN
SINCE FRIENDSTER WAS THE TITS…
JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM