Date of show: January 6, 2010
Shot of choice: tequila
It’s impressive when a strictly instrumental band has the ability to hold your attention. Old World Vulture does just that. The guys that make up Old World Vulture are Mike Costanzo (guitar, loops, sampling), Devin Hughes (synths), Jamie Hunter (drums) and Anthony Perri (bass). Together the sound they create is melodic and frenzied all at the same time. Their breed of instrumental post-rock melds heavy guitar riffs with stand-out synth melodies, all tied together with rich bass lines and powerful and dynamic drums.
These guys are exciting and completely lived up to the expectations I had after hearing their EP. They showcased some newer material, “Moon” and “You’re Exotic”, that will be on their debut full-length, which should be released this year. Catch these guys live because they will surely blow you away.
Planet Creature is an all-female garage rock band comprised of Brooke Gagne (vocals, guitar), Kristina Koski (keys, vocals), Laura Rafferty (drums, vocals), Goldie Saljoughi (bass, vocals), Katerina Theodorelos (guitar, bass, vocals). Rachel described their stage presence as “very girl power” and they are, but in a subtle way. They keep the stage banter to a minimum and instead let the music speak for itself. Their garage sound incorporates a little bit of a pop element with their impressive harmonies that keep the audience’s attention.
The band is signed to Optical Sounds, with just The Pigeon EP under their recording belts, which was released in the fall of 2010. However, Planet Creature went back into the studio with a full-length in mind. While you’re waiting for the full-length, catch these ladies live.
Likely the best surprise of the night was Elk, who was second on stage and had a pretty decent turnout. Elk is based out of Welland/St. Catharines and is comprised of Benjamin Pokol (vocals, bass) Michael Price (guitar, vocals), Kyle Connelly (guitar, vocals), and Josh Korody (drums, vocals). Their garage sound has the ability to put a smile on your face, particularly with their harmonies. They sound well put together and tight, which doesn’t surprise me since Korody is actually an engineer/mixer/producer.
Elk released their self-produced self-titled debut album in February 2010 (you can stream/buy it here), but they’ve got a follow up, Balm Beach, on the way, which will be released on newly launched Indoor Shoes. Two songs, “Shaking Hands” and “Laura” are already available for you to check out and they sound fantastic. They put on an enjoyable set and I’m looking forward to hearing what else they’ve got up their sleeves.
I missed Lordy Lordy’s set that kicked off the night, but we’ve become well acquainted with their live sets. Rachel tells me they killed it, as per usual. Please check out some of our previous coverage of Lordy Lordy here and here. And catch them live, will ya?!
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