Julie Doiron has been a familiar name within the Canadian indie folk-rock scenes for decades. Since forming Eric’s Trip in 1990 in Moncton, her modest and cute demeanor paired with her songwriting talents have been captivating her audiences for years, especially after nine solo albums and plenty of collaborations.

Though she’s clearly left her mark in New Brunswick (and even in Saskatchewan where the town of Bruno has declared Julie Doiron day for June 7), Doiron moved to Toronto about a year ago, and it has quickly become a positive scene for her musically. She doesn’t play often, but when she does, they are bigger shows at the Horseshoe. So when she decided to do a residency every Thursday night this month at newly liquor licensed Saving Gigi, it sent a bit of a jolt through her Toronto fan base. With only 25 seats and tickets available Friday mornings from the venue, Doiron’s shows have become so in-demand and fun that she’s decided to extend the residency to once or twice a month for the future. It’s a nice treat for music lovers in Toronto, and it even pays the artist back, as Doiron has picked up shifts working there.

In this interview with Doiron the afternoon before her second show, we discuss her residency, living in Toronto, working on her next album and connecting with her audience.

Dork Shelf: How has the residency been so far?

Julie Doiron: So far it’s been great. Last week was with Daniel Romano, and it was really fun. It was really low-key and pretty relaxed. I know Dan pretty well. I think at the end, when people asked me how it was, it was great, but it’s kind of a whirlwind for me too because I had never really planned anything like this before or realistically hosted people like that with this idea and setting. Tamara of The Weather Station, who is my guest tonight, we rehearsed all day yesterday and today so I think it’s going to be really good. She’s wonderful, a beautiful singer and songwriter so it’s going to be nice.

DS: It’s kind of a routine you’ve got to get yourself into, right?

JD: Totally! It’s interesting because it’s one thing to do your thing and know your songs but then to do a set together is out of your comfort zone, you have to come up with something good and accompany someone and it’s a good test for me for sure.

DS: Do you have planned who is going to be joining you in the future?

JD: Yeah but we’re not announcing any of the guests until the tickets go on sale. For this month it’s every week and after, I’m going to do it like once or twice a month. So either every other week or once a month, I’m not sure.

DS: What made you want to do it at Saving Gigi?

JD: I had been hanging out there quite a bit when they were still a café and then they started brainstorming because they were on the verge of getting their liquor license, which they had been trying to get for a long time. So we brainstormed the idea of me doing the residency there. It’s a celebration of their new hours, them being open later in the night and having their liquor license so I just thought it could be something I could do to help get the word out. I love them, they’re really great to me. I go there a lot.

DS: So is it like your hangout spot in the city now?

JD: Yeah, I just live nearby so it’s a place I go to quite a bit.

DS: What’s it like being a musician in Toronto now?

JD: I really love it here. Of course it’s really hectic because I don’t have a job so I haven’t been playing enough shows. Obviously the living expenses were more than I was used to but I’m getting it together. Oddly enough, Saving Gigi just hired me to work a few nights a week. I love it here, I really do. As a musician, so many friends of mine who are musicians live here, so it’s really cool in that way too. It’s really easy to be able to get together with people.

DS: Where are your favourite places to go and play?

JD: I haven’t really been playing that much here. I play at the Horseshoe a lot but those are bigger shows. I just recently started going to an open mic night at the Tranzac on Mondays. I teach yoga literally around the corner so now I just pop over there and do two songs. That’s fun. I haven’t been out in a while, but I have been known to go to Ronnie’s, which is in the Market. I don’t go out that often, actually. Up until recently, anyways. And lately I’ve been hanging out at Saving Gigi because it’s very comfortable there.

DS: You’re very affable with your audience. Does being in this small café/bar make it a lot easier for you to connect with people?

JD: I guess so. It’s a really small room, so we can only sell 25 tickets. So the shows are all really small, so yes it’s quite intimate but sometimes those shows are more terrifying than the big ones because there’s still a lot of pressure. Everyone’s really listening. Which is great, that’s a dream for a lot of people, to have an audience that’s just listening. So you can connect with them for sure because when you make a joke you can hear everybody laugh and no one’s talking, but it is intimidating a little bit, which is also good to put yourself in that situation.

DS: You let people request songs a lot. What are some of the most frequently requested?

JD: There are specific ones. I get a lot for “Me and My Friend” and “Sweeter.” A lot of times “Snowfalls in November” gets requested. There are a few hits!

DS: What do you play the most at these shows?

JD: I’m playing a lot of new songs because I’m in the middle of recording a new album so I play those quite a bit and I sort of touch on all the records, I do a little bit of each.

DS: What’s the plan with the new album?

JD: I’m not sure when it’s coming out, but I started recording it just before Christmas, and right now that I’m doing this, I’m taking a bit of a break, but I’m going back to doing it in February. So I’ll hopefully be able to get it finished then.

DS: What’s it about?

JD: It’s about my life. And I think it’s going to be really good! I think the songs are really good.

DS: That’s a good way to sell it. Are the people that you’re bringing on for the residency all Toronto musicians?

JD: Pretty much. So far, everyone’s based in Toronto or just near Toronto. It’s hard to get people in from out of town.

DS: Who are some of your favourite local musicians?

JD: I think Tamara is really great, I think Jennifer Castle’s really great. There are a lot of great people here. There are a lot of obvious choices. $100 are really good, there are all kinds of great bands and musicians here in Toronto. I obviously love The Sadies.

DS: What’s on your Dork Shelf? What kinds of books or music are you into these days?

JD: The book I’m reading right now is actually Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. I’ve been listening to a lot of Daniel Romano, almost non-stop, his last record Sleep Beneath the Willow is amazing, I listen to it at least once every day. I also have just been listening to a lot of Neil Young and Willie Nelson and things like that. Shotgun Jimmie. The Weather Station. I don’t have a lot of records here right now.

DS: What else should we know about Julie?

JD: Not a whole lot. I’m feeling really good, I’m feeling really happy. Pretty motivated right now. Working really hard. Teaching yoga now a couple times a week. Basically just writing, recording and trying to work hard. Trying to be a better person.

Heartbeat Hotel and its cohorts are no strangers to Dork Shelf. We’ve listened to their sound grow over the last year from the late-night basement ponderings of Fetus Dreams to the hazy glow of waking realizations found on their latest piece of work, a six song-long album titled Intae Woe, which was released at the end of November. By doing such, this Toronto four-piece has led 2011 into a blissfully sweet ending.

Intae Woe is for the person who likes to keep their feet on the ground but spends a heck of a lot of time wondering what it would be like to fly. From the easy-going auras that radiate from “Danglin in the Aether” and “Fresh Fruit” to the spying the sun rays through the curtain in the morning chill-feel of “Downhill” to the calm anthem “Horsemen,” Intae Woe shows off Heartbeat Hotel’s casual euphoric bearings and wistfulness, as well as matured song writing and performance chops.

Get to know this Toronto band a bit better, as Chris Lyons and Andy Smith (also of previously featured Army Girls) discuss recording at a cottage, what it’s like being a musician in Toronto, and who has a tattoo of a cult-classic TV show character.

Dork Shelf: How/when did the band start and how did you come to be who you are now?

Chris Lyons: Heartbeat Hotel started as an agit-prop project, out of the ashes of a few previous bands we had played in. It had been six months since our last show and everything in our lives felt a bit… odd. There was this one weekend in August 2008 where Andy and I had amassed a somewhat ludicrous amount of alcohol and we decided that come hell or high water we were going to finish a tape by the time Monday came around. There was no particular aim, we just built it as we went. We’d finish one track and go “well that deserves to be followed by this sort of thing” and then once that little sequence had been created we’d go, “What next? How bout some blast-beats? And yeah, go get that reed organ…” These sessions became “Transbastardized Orphan Under a Harvest Moon” – it was a very spontaneous endeavour. And we had a lot of fun doing it. We played a few dozen shows with this repertoire, enlisting a bass player to fill out the sound, and generally it got a great response. To be honest though, once reality got a bit less frenzied, it became harder and harder to play that music so things chilled out.

Then came “Fetus Dreams” – another home-made endeavour which pulled in some nice press, and by the time we were taking those songs on the road we had decided that proper song writing might not be such a bad thing to return to. That sort of brings us to our latest release, “Intae Woe” which is much more ‘conventionally’ written than anything else we’ve done under this umbrella. Everything on this record is a lot less frantic than what we’ve done in the past, it sort of breathes more. It also took us back to our roots, featuring the same four-piece line-up that had originally come to the city as a band. Change happens. Usually it comes as a good thing.

DS: Where do you see Heartbeat Hotel going in the future?

CL: Jail, if all of these scary anti-terrorism laws actually come into play.

DS: You went away to a cottage to record Intae Woe. Why?

CL: It sort of felt right. Despite it being the best option on the table, all of these songs that we just put down were of a sort of “dreamy” nature… We thought escaping the hubbub of the city would be good for our collective headspace. Matt suggested it and we all thought it was a great idea.

DS: What do you think it did for the album?

Andy Smith: It allowed us to focus on the recording of the record mostly 24/7 the whole week we were up there. I suppose that’s a good thing.

CL: Definitely.

DS: What was it like recording away from home?

CL: Personally I know that cottage pretty well, so it almost felt like we were home. I don’t know, maybe Andy has a different answer to this question.

AS: I usually have a hard time being away from home for an extended period of time. I find it pretty easy to miss the comforts of Toronto. But in this case, it was a great experience. We are all close friends, the four of us… and we all used to live together. So it sort of felt like home actually.

DS: What is Intae Woe about?

CL: Everything and Nothing, in the words of Matt Mitchell. The cover art features a shot of the sun poking through the trees, and I think that’s a good metaphor for the feeling of drifting through life with your chin up. Sort of like a leaf in the wind that doesn’t want to touch the ground. Seeing as much as you can, and being grateful that you’re free to do so.

DS: What’s it like to be a musician in Toronto?

CL: I don’t really have any other point of reference, but it’s fantastic being able to live in such a vibrant arts community. I remember moving to this city five years ago and being like “Wow, city hall is so behind the arts…” – obviously that’s changed a bit, but at its core it seems like Toronto will forever be ripe with arts and music. And that’s a great thing for everybody: it helps make everyday life less grey.

DS: What other local acts are you into?

AS: Owen Pallett, Austra, Foxes In Fiction, Ostrich Tuning, Doldrums, Donlands & Mortimer, Blood Rexdale & the Walls are Blonde. Lots more, too.

CL: I just caught The Effens playing downtown recently, they were pretty alright for a young band. But another ‘E’ band really stole my heart this summer, the Elwins…and right now I’m putting the finishing touches on the new Alphabot! record with Jake, so watch for that in the months to come.

DS: Do you have a favourite venue to play at?

CL: They’ve all got their ups and downs…

AS: The Drake Underground has always been a great experience. But its just good to play. Sometimes anywhere is just fine.

DS: How would you describe your live dynamic?

CL: Ever-changing. Sheepish. Generally sort of not what people expect when they go out.

DS: What other kinds of music, games, movies, books or TV shows you guys are into right now?

CL: I just finished re-watching all of Chappelle’s show, and I guess musically I’ve been into a lot of dreary ambient stuff lately. Grouper in particular, but also stuff like Eno and Kiln and Stars of the Lid. And when I feel like shaking my head around I pull out The Drums or the first couple of McCartney records, which are way underrated. Oh, and a friend just made me listen to Rounds by Four Tet. Beautiful record. The only other thing I’ve been into lately is all this Eurozone/Occupy/NDAA 2012 stuff that seems to be getting heavier and heavier. I’m not so sure it’s good for my mental health, but it’s fascinating as damn. Oh, and Scandinavian design. Perhaps Scandinavian life in general. Also very fascinating.

AS: I just got a Twin Peaks tattoo. Log Lady for life.

DS: What else should we know about Heartbeat Hotel?

CL: Now that we’ve been banned from the stage for the next three months by the Minister of the Interior, we plan on recording new material for a possible release in the spring. Perhaps he’ll reconsider and let us play by then. Life throws you curveballs sometimes…but as long as we can continue playing around on our bedroom floors with our recording gear…we’ll be happy.

For more info visit HeartbeatHotel.ca.

When the air gets crisp, when the leaves turn colours and start to fall, the atmosphere noticeably changes. Generally around this time, I find people like to make a bit of a switch in the kind of music they listen to. Gone are the poppy summer hits and in come the warm and majestic folk-rock tunes. If you find that you’re one of these people, then Toronto’s Parks & Rec will snuggle right in.

Parks & Rec released Seeds Grown Here, their second EP, at the end of September. Since then, I’ve let it linger in the air around me, but I was in love with it as soon as I played it for the first time. The seven tracks each have a calmness that settles in but are exhilarating in discoveries. The comforting feeling you feel when listening to them is something that this band should be proud of. Parks & Rec lost a member, Cristina Taborda, in December 2010 when she passed away in her sleep from a seizure. Seeds Grown Here is dedicated in her memory, and as lead singer and guitarist Charles Tilden says in this interview, they can still hear her harmonies. The pain the band had to go through together has ultimately brought them together.

Seeds Grown Here will plant itself in you and evolve into a weighty image or memory of something you’ll relate to this season. From the upbeat and reflective “All These Lives Collide” to the folky rolling wave of “Light Up the Night” to the softer moments throughout; everything is tender, vulnerable but ready to be seen and heard. Parks & Rec are aware, stronger than ever and comfortable in their atmosphere.

Dork Shelf: How did the band start and how did you come to be who you are now?

Charles Tilden: Parks & Rec has gone through a few incarnations. The band started from a number of friendships that all came together. Pierre and I have been making music since we were 12 or 13. We moved to Ottawa with our at-the-time drummer, our friend Jake. So a few years later, I met Eric, the guitarist. We had started writing songs together and feeling a connection and as though a critical mass of material was coming together. We started jamming with Jake and fleshed out a lot of that material and for a while played gigs without a name. Essentially it was Parks & Rec, but we had no idea what it was called, it was just playing gigs in little pubs. Finally the name emerged and soon we were a five-piece for a while with a buddy Scott playing bass and Pierre playing keys and other various instruments. Then along came the lovely Cristina Taborda and we were a six piece for a short time and then a five piece again as Scotty took off and Pierre took the reigns on the bass. And that was Parks & Rec for the first time a band that felt like it was solid, where everyone felt like they knew what was going on and wanted to drive in one direction together. That’s when we put together our first EP, and that’s when we started hitting the road a little bit and playing a lot more gigs. It’s been a slow, progressive evolution.

DS: And now you have your second EP out. So musically, how are you different now from when you started?

CT: I think when we started, we didn’t really know what we wanted to sound like and recording forced us to think a lot more about what that sound was. I think the transition from the first EP to the second really shows how the sound has evolved because the first is five songs that at the time we felt were the most ready to record. They were just what we thought were our best songs that we had played enough that they were tight enough and didn’t really matter so much whether they were cohesive, we just wanted to get something out and that’s what the first EP was. But by the time the second came around, we had a whole slew of other songs to pick from. We picked the songs for the EP trying to cull together something that was a bit more cohesive, had a flow that felt like a record. It’s not a full-length, but we were hoping from start to finish that you could listen to it and feel like it is one piece, like it’s meant to be. Beyond that, it’s really hard to describe what the hell that is. It’s rock music with a lot of folk influences.

DS: Is it a sound that you want to work more towards in the future?

CT: Well now is an exciting time because now we’ve got those two records behind us and it’s time to start again with new material and soon a new drummer. We have a lot of ideas floating around and I can’t say specifically what it’s going to sound like. Way too early.

DS: Your house and neighbourhood seem to be a big part of you. For instance, you recorded in your home studio, what was that like?

CT: It was terrific because it was comfortable, it is a space we know really well and it allowed us all the time in the world to just make sure we got it right. There are downsides to that as well, because when you have all the time in the world you can take all the time in the world. It was many months in the making, but when we pressed play on the mixing sessions for the last time, it was with full confidence.

DS: It’s very tough what you guys went through with losing Cristina. How are you guys doing?

CT: We’ve heard from friends and people who have listened to our music for a long time, and it’s strange that they come to us with this, because we hear it as well. We hear Cristina’s harmonies all the time on a lot of the songs, which is a bit spooky, but I kind of welcome it. It’s a part of her that still exists. We miss her really dearly. Her leaving us was a really surprising experience in that at first it was a very difficult time and was one that put the band in question. But it actually didn’t take long for us to realize that there’s nothing else that we should do except make music. It brought us closer together.

DS: I’m sure she would appreciate that. It’s good to hear you’re doing well. In terms of the new EP, I know it’s dedicated to her, but does it have a certain theme for what it’s about?

CT: There are a number of themes that run through it. Part of it is about sometimes a seemingly hopeless mission of being a musician but deciding that together it’s something that’s worth it. There are some themes that are a bit more abstract and mean a lot of different things. Obviously there’s the theme of planting seeds and growing them. There are the themes of light and darkness.

DS: What’s it like to be a musician in Toronto?

CT: My comparison is that the Ottawa scene is virtually nonexistent unless you’re a hardcore kid in a punk or metal band. And then there’s a very strong underground movement. But otherwise it felt very lonely making music in Ottawa and coming to Toronto was an amazing experience. Whether you make reggae or electronica or jazz or rock and roll, there’s going to be plenty of people you can connect with. It means collaborating is a lot easier, it means bouncing ideas off each other is a lot easier and having a network. The life of a musician can be harsh at times and just hanging out with others can be nice.

DS: Did you move here for the band?

CT: I moved here to go to Ryerson but also knowing in the back of my mind that this was absolutely the place to be. I remember that being confirmed for me the first time I heard You Forgot it in People. “What? That record is from that city and I’m going to that city!” Jake did the same thing. Pierre came a bit later. Eric moved from London a few years later.

DS: Do you have a favourite venue to play at?

CT: I like the Piston a lot, it’s a great size. They’ve done an awesome job at turning that backroom into a great space. We played Magpie recently, which I think under the right circumstances is a terrific venue as well. Again, small. Really eclectic feel. I generally really prefer a smaller venue. We’ve had great times playing at the El Mocambo and the Horseshoe and there’s a certain excitement to playing those stages knowing the things that have happened there in the past, but ultimately I feel like we can connect better with people when they’re right in front of us.

DS: What other kinds of music, games, movies, books or TV shows you guys are into right now?

Books – I’m reading a graphic novel called The Blue Pill. It’s really depressing so don’t read it if you’re depressed right now. It’s about a man who falls in love with a woman only to find out after that she’s HIV positive and so is her kid. The illustrations are phenomenal.

TV – I’m obsessed with Bored to Death, an amazing show. Watch it if you’ve never watched it. Ted Danson, Jason Schwartzman and Zack Galifianakis are a phenomenal trio and bounce off each other really well.

Movies – I’ve only been re-watching stuff lately that I’ve watched a million times before. But I love Micmacs, it’s a French film about a man who makes it his life-long mission to destroy the weapons industry.

Games – We play board games with our housemates upstairs. We usually go with Scattergories.

DS: Anything else you’d like to say?

CT: I’m working on a new project that’s going to be blues and electro music. I have a couple favourites on the electro side I always go back to, like for a long time I’ve been obsessed with Radiohead. I love Caribou and Four Tet big time. On the blues side, I’m digging as far back into the crate as possible. I like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Big Mamma Thorton and I’m just trying to re-grasp the essence of the blues and then see what happens when you mash it with electro music.

Parks & Rec are playing Don’t Touch That Dial at El Mocambo on Saturday, December 3.

You can find more of Parks & Rec’s Seeds Grown Here on their BandCamp page here.

The Darcys (Photo by Ryan Edward Miller)

When discussing indie rock bands in Toronto and which ones have been waiting real hard for their dues, the name The Darcys probably comes up pretty often. For years, the band has been saying that their next album was forthcoming, but we can finally say that on October 25 that product of labour and love will be in our hands and ears and in front of our eyes. Their self-titled second album, The Darcys, will be released later this month by Canadian indie powerhouse label Arts & Crafts.

Trials and tribulations hit the band from every direction, as they found themselves deserted by their vocalist, publicist and friends. Most would stay down, but they kept at it and got back up. This is really just the beginning for the Toronto band, especially knowing that they’ve already got two more albums in the work, with the proper backing.

The Darcys is not their debut, but it’ll be the first thing that most of us will know them by, and it seems they were aware of that in the creation and recording. There’s a lot of power in this Canadian indie rock, between the beats, laced in the fast-paced, nervy guitars and in Jason Couse’s voice, which ranges in rock and soul. The Darcys has an air of familiar mystery that you want to figure out. Their sound is like a memory; nostalgia and hazy territory seem to factor in with emotion and eyes focusing between what’s right in front of them and what’s ahead.

The Darcys – Shaking Down The Old Bones by Arts & Crafts

You can pick up The Darcys on October 25. But before then, read Dork Shelf’s interview with drummer Wes Marskell about the past, present and future.

Dork Shelf: How and when did you start The Darcys?

Wes Marskell: The way I see it, The Darcys started on stage at CMW 2010. That mindset and line-up is everything our band stands for now. I remember playing the first song of that set and thinking: this is how it always should have been. It was the first time I felt we were worth listening to.

DS: Can you describe how The Darcys are different now from when you started?

WM: The only similarity is our name. This next set of releases will be more defining than the past five years could have ever been.

DS: Getting your next release out has been a tumultuous experience for you, and now you’re here, signed to Canada’s largest indie label with a deal for three albums. Can you explain how you got to this point and some things that happened along the way?

WM: For a long time people told us to quit. The record was broken, maybe irreparable, and we had lost a band member. For most people this combination of factors marked the end of the band. In retrospect, this was a very realistic point of view as the next few months were extremely hard on us. The record went through a number of failed mixes and masters and at times I had no idea how or if we would ever see the other side of the storm.

It sounds a bit cliché, but we learned who our friends were very quickly when we were at our lowest. Everyone dropped off and we found ourselves looking for management, publicity, an agent and more. All we could do was keep our heads down and push through. When we rebuilt the band, we also focused on the team of people around us, and it was those people who were instrumental in the signing to Arts & Crafts and to any future success this band may see.

Arts & Crafts has blown some new wind into our sails, but the record has yet to come out and I have no handle on how it might be received. To me, signing this deal means we have to start working twice as hard and everything we do has to be that much better.

DS: What’s it like for you now, after going through so much for the band? Did you ever think about giving it up?

WM: We never talked about giving up. Looking back on all of this, it seems the only thing we talked about was new ideas to move forward with. We had very little time to reconfigure the set before CMW and most of our focus turned towards getting the live show ready. In the back of my mind, I thought we would figure it out after CMW, and then it was after the next show and then the show after that. The feeling inside our camp was more productive and creative than it had been in a very long time. When we were a five piece, the band always felt like it was on the verge of slipping away from us and the new line-up made us feel like we had a real chance to make this work.

Also, the pressure of having to prove something only fueled our momentum forward. There were weak moments when we talked about renaming the band and starting over, but we wanted to release this record when the time was right and tour these songs. There were people who had stuck with us for a long time and we wanted to give them this record. We didn’t have it in us to quit.

DS: You’ve been talking about the next release coming out for quite some time, but you announced all this big news mere weeks before it will happen. Did it happen that quickly?

WM: In a sense it happened very quickly. However, everything happened as part of a greater process of this record and project. After the first two mixes the record still wasn’t ready for release and every attempt to push the record forward was met with resistance, which in turn started to feel like warning. I think for a long time we were hearing the album as we wanted to hear it instead of how it actually sounded.

The spring of 2011 is when everything fell into place. The real catalyst was the new mix by Dave Schiffman. Though the record had sounded good at times, he brought the right energy to the recordings and we could hear it the moment we pressed play. From final master to our release date will be about 6 months, but in actuality this record has been trying to come out for four years.

DS: What was it like recording these new releases?

WM: I am not sure we are quite ready to open up about the releases beyond the self-titled just yet, but I can tell you there has been a major shift in our process. Recording The Darcys was about agenda. We walked into the studio with songs that were 95 per cent of what they have become recorded. The studio was less of a creative site and more of an apparatus to achieve the sonic space we were after. What we really wanted to create were noise layers that simulated emotions or places that we had experienced in the time leading up to recording. At times it became arduous because the act of writing songs had long passed and we were instead focused on a delay setting on the second pedal in a chain of four. Stress levels ran high when certain sounds wouldn’t translate properly. We really wanted something specific.

DS: Tell us about the October 25^th release of The Darcys. What is it about?

WM: It is about moving forward. I stand by this release, but it is merely our jumping off point for us. This record marks our entrance but what follows will be paramount. A lot of people left us for dead and the 25^th will be our way of proving that we are still alive and kicking.

DS: What will you do differently in the future? Where else will The Darcys go?

WM: We have been listing to a lot of soul records and trying to clean out our sound so that not every song is 60 tracks of noise. We have rigged up some drum machines and are toying with really heavy bass tones. For a while we talked about eliminating guitar entirely and working with this interlocked and battling keyboard sound pared with a really fat kick drum. We are being pulled in a few directions and I am interested to see how we work out the new records.

DS: What’s it like to be a musician in Toronto? How do you draw from the scene?

WM: This city never lacks a good show and the amount of talent coming out of Toronto is almost discouraging. Trying to set your band apart from the others seems impossible and the moment you feel like you have gotten somewhere it feels like someone else is doing it better than you. Play a bad show and people move on. It doesn’t feel like people are waiting and willing to give you two or three chances to turn it around. That said, I would rather be in a competitive place with an abundance of talent because I think it sharpens your focus.

DS: What venues or areas do you like to play in and why?

WM: Toronto is home and there is nothing better than playing a packed show to your home crowd.

DS: What are some of The Darcys favourite books, movies and music right now?

WM: Musically, I know Jason has been eating up a lot of the records the Soulquarians collective have put out. For me, I have read most of Cormac McCarthy’s published works and that has had quite an impact on the lyrics and overall tone of the new recordings.

DS: Is there anything else we should know?

WM: There is so much the next few months to tell you. We have been working on a lot of ideas and projects over the past year and many of them are going to see the light of day very shortly.

The Darcys perform on Late Night in the Bedroom

With Carmen on guitar and vocals and Andy on drums, the pair pack a whopping punch. Carmen’s vocals make her sound like she’s been transported through time to an era of old movies, but she’s got the confidence to take her to another level. Her electric guitar playing is raw and exposed, while Andy’s drumming is quick, flexible and light. Close to the Bone is an introduction to this duo we won’t forget, from the melodies, the wails, the changing pace and so much rich energy in tracks such as “The Power,” “Cold & Alcohol” and “Always.”

Seeing Army Girls live is a big part of their dynamic. You can catch them this weekend (Saturday, the 10^th) at the Arts & Crafts TIFF showcase at the Drake Hotel with The Darcys, Rival Boys and Samantha Savage Smith. They go on at 8.

Now, get to know Army Girls with our Q&A:

How and when did you start the band?

We started playing together February 2010 under a different name. The first year we started playing together we only did a handful of shows. In the winter of 2011, we recorded our first album and came up with a name and have been performing that way ever since.

Tell us about Close to the Bone. What is it about? What does it mean to you?

Close to the Bone is a collection of songs written in the aftermath of a lot of change. Primarily, I wrote it in response to a deeply awful couple of years. As it happens, it turned out to be less therapeutic and more hopeful for me. I won’t speak for Andy, but for myself, writing this EP has been about coming to grips with bad situations and turning them into raw energy.

What was it like making your first Army Girls EP?

It was really fun. We came at it with a pretty ad hoc approach. We cold called Ben Cook (who is fantastically talented in many, many respects) and set a time and place, showed up and made a rough n’ rushed album in 4 hours. It was a new experience for me. Until this EP was recorded, every recording process I had been a part of took days or weeks or months. This fell together so quickly and turned out pretty much exactly how it should have.

What struck you as a really good idea?

The best idea we had was contacting Ben. It’s rare to find someone who can exactly transfer a sound you envision into hard copy. It’s like asking a stranger to tell you what to wear, they don’t know your taste, your style, your wardrobe… how are they supposed to guess? We were so pleased it worked out so well.

What are you thinking about for future recordings, whether it’s to change something or what you’d like to explore?

Next we would love to do a full length. Unfortunately, for new bands it isn’t always easy coming up with enough money or material to make a first album a full length. We are hoping to go to New York to record the next one; to get lost in a bigger city, maybe and see where we find ourselves.

Do you feel that the music you make in this band is similar to what you make with other projects, or are you going for a certain style?

I think Army Girls is unique to Army Girls. The way we’ve worked until now is not very similar to the other bands we play in, or have played in.

How would you describe your live dynamic?

I think our live shows have a lot of energy. We never play a show without sweating buckets, we always get off the stage feeling winded. We have been described as raw – I like that description a lot because it really neatly sums up how much effort we put into propelling each song.

What venues or areas do you like to play in and why?

Almost anywhere in Toronto is an amazing experience to play. Anything from the Horseshoe to someone’s small grungy basement. Toronto has an amazing selection of alternative spaces which can make that special occasion that much more special.

What’s it like to be a musician in Toronto? How do you draw from the scene?

Being a musician in Toronto is amazing. There are so many good bands in this city to feed off of and play shows with. Starting a new band here after playing for many years in other bands made it easy to get shows and build from there.

You named your band after a random girl you saw walking down the street. Does city imagery or attitude often affect your work?

Definitely. We are both very visual people. Always looking. Noticing the smaller details.

Where do you want to take this band? Carmen, you’ve said how you’ve taken yourself into new territory as a musician by getting louder, so what else would you like to do?

I would like to take this band as far as possible. I want to refine the songs and write many more. I would like lots of people to hear this music and I’d like to play shows with other fantastic musicians. I see possibilities in this band like a mechanic does in the rusted shell of a restorable car; I can see us polishing and adjusting it until it runs beautifully.

Is there anything else we should know about Army Girls?

We will be putting together a new photo blog next month with our new camera from Lomography in Toronto. We are very excited for that!

Follow Army Girls on their official site here.

Octoberman

August is clearly trying to make sure summer ends on a hot note. Toronto’s so jam-packed with concerts and music-type events that there’s got to be something in this heap of sweat for everyone. Here are some choice methods to get hot before September.

This Thursday (11 August) , take a ride to this year’s Bicycle Film Festival. Kicking off the festivities will be a concert featuring The Meligrove Band, Octoberman, and Christien Summers at the  Horseshoe. If cycling’s not your style, try something more structured, like Housebuilding Thursdays, a residency by collective band Architects running through August and September, at Somewhere There. And if you’re itching for a bit more angst and electronic experimentation Heartbeat Hotel,  Armen at the Bazaar, GAY and Still Life Still will be rocking the Silver Dollar.

This weekend is just as packed. On Friday, The Untold City presents a free show at The  Garrison with local upstart shit-disturbers Topanga, plus Uncle Bad Touch, Young Rival and Montreal’s jagged rockers Parlovr. If you’re feeling for something equally sweaty but a bit more on the experimental pop side, check out Hooded Fang, Moon King, Doldrums and more at The Garage. Then, come Saturday and Sunday, Wavelength presents another great lineup for this year’s ALL CAPS Island Festival, featuring the soothing and goosebump-y sounds of Evening Hymns, Julie Doiron, Jennifer Castle on Saturday and the country rock of The Wooden Sky and the party palace that is Rich Aucoin on Saturday. (Plus, there will be camping overnight, film screenings, BBQ, bonfires and more.)

The Meligrove Band - photo by Mat Dunlap

All this isn’t meant for you to forget the SummerWorks festival that’s been blazing all over the city since last week. This weekend features performances by Bruce Peninsula , Miracle Fortress, and Green Go.

Okay! Deep breath. Stay with me, that is all in just the span of three days!

The rest of August is mighty fine, too. Dwayne Gretzky extended their July residency at the Dakota Tavern doing classic rock covers, Allie Hughes will be testing out new material at a free show at the Drake, The Fires Of and Dilly Dally will light up the Silver Dollar and get this: bands and bloggers (quite possibly including this here blogger) will be uniting in a dodgeball match against one another, free for anyone to watch the horror (I mean awesomeness).

But let’s not forget the hungry touring musicians from outside Toronto who are getting everyone buzzing. Hawthorne Heights (they’re still around?!) visit the Rockpile on the 21st, Against Me takes over the Mod Club the 22nd, The War on Drugs soothe the Drake on the 24th and Colin Stetson will get everyone’s new saxophone love in a twixt at the Drake on the 26th.

So now that your calendar is jam-packed, or you at least have a brand new batch of bands to check out, who are you going to see?

As always, you can read more of my thoughts and exclamations on music at RoundLetters.

Hooded Fang

Around this time of year, I start to crave something. Besides the usual cravings like ice cream, cold beer and not witnessing gross old men or even egotistical jocks shirtless (sup, dorks?), I yearn for some really good summer music. You know, the kind that you can blast at BBQs? The kind of music that make your steps a little more energetic while you walk to work and anthems you can sing along to. I think we all experience a form of this craving, so here are my local ideas for how to keep satisfied this July.

Bands to get the juices flowing

Topanga – This foursome have so much energy that it’s hard not to get pumped up when listening to racing party rock songs like “Lionheart” and “Back Against the Wall”. Their four-track self-titled EP is contagious, has a good balance of raw attitude and soft justice, so it’s an all-around good selection for backyard activities.

Hooded Fang – Yeah, I’ve written about them before, and sure I could write about all the bands I’ve written about again, but this freshly Polaris Prize long-list-ified indie pop rock troupe are releasing their sophomore album Tosta Mista on the 26th, and it’s going to be my album of the summer. They are standing up straight and matured in sound but ready to man the 50s dance off, bow-ties, big dresses, the twist and all. “ESP” and “Den of Love” are up to stream already, so I suggest you take your ears for a gander before you let your feet do the rest of the work.

Shows to get hyped for

Dwayne Gretzky residency at the Dakota, Tuesdays in July

This mutt band of members from Arkells and Sweet Thing have been making some sound waves around the city for their charming covers of artists such as The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. It’s a really groovy live performance that if you’re into this sort of thing (cough, dancing), you should see at least once. And look at that, so many options this month! More info here.

Hotkid, Cheap Speakers, Dilly Dally, Alex Pulec DJs at Sneaky Dees, July 15

This is a great Two Way Monologues series line-up of some really energetic local bands that are on the rise these days. Hotkid has recently opened for Sloan, the Cheap Speakers did an Eastern Canadian tour a couple months ago and Dilly Dally are still riding the wave of their 2010 EP. The night will also feature a rockabilly/surf vinyl DJ set by Alex Pulec of The Ruby Spirit. More info here.

Out of the Box Festival at the Great Hall and Underground Cinema, July 29-31

This is the next festival I’m quite excited for. It’s for three days at the end of the month during the long weekend and has a great roster of some of my favourites including Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Heartbeat Hotel, The Ruby Spirit and Foxes in Fiction as well as acts I’m excited to check out: Carnival Moon, Blood Rexdale and the Rival Boys. This is one of those festivals that shows off unique, budding local talent and a lot of the bands are already affiliated with one another in some way, so it is bound to be really fun. More info here.

Duffy’s Tavern
1238 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON

Duffy’s Tavern and Bitmasters Netlabel are bringing you Toronto’s very first and ONLY monthly 8-bit music event on Saturday July 2nd, 2011!

This 19+ event will feature videogame-inspired tunes, crazy pixelated visuals provided by none other than CHIP RAMBO, and classic Nintendo games for all audience members to play to give you a big hit of nostalgia you won’t soon forget.

So, bring 5 bucks and come get your tunes on! Chiptunes, that is!
The night of 8-bit madness will feature:

DJ FINISH HIM
A flawless mix of Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Video Game Music.
http://www.myspace.com/djfinishhim

Oxvylu
Mellow keyboard jams from a guy whose name is universally mispronounced.
http://www.oxvylu.com/

DJ Eastern Blok
He ain’t Russian, so don’t ask. DJ Eastern Blok uses a Nintendo Game Boy for original, fast, blipped up electronica tunes.
http://www.facebook.com/djeasternblok

jefftheworld
He’ll Jeff ‘your’ world! Melodic chiptune action that’ll get you grooving.
http://www.jefftheworld.com/

Starpilot
Trippy, blippy, and catchy. He’s from beyond the heavens and among the stars, but has instead chosen to come to us from Kitchener, Ontario to get you dancing.
http://starpilot.bandcamp.com/

DEADBEATBLAST
Bring a fresh pair of pants, DEADBEATBLAST may just leave you soiling yourself with excitement with his unique blend of chiptunes and industrial-inspired music. You’ve been warned.
http://www.deadbeatblast.com/

Presented by Bitmasters Netlabel. For free music and more, check out http://www.bitmasters-netlabel.com/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188510551200768

The Locals:

The Meligrove Band – We know this Toronto band is going to be changing things up Wednesday night at 10 for the Nevado Records showcase at the Horseshoe with a special kind of set, but we can’t give away the details! Just go and see for yourself, trust us. The showcase is a banger, also featuring Library Voices and Secret Guests.

Evening Hymns – Jonas Bonnetta and company have recently finished recording their anticipated second album, after a nice long European tour. They return home for a beautiful set at the Music Gallery on Thursday at 8.

Great Bloomers – This band’s dropped off the radar for a little while, but we’re very happy to have them back and playing around the city. Catch their headlining set at Sneaky Dee’s at 1 on Friday.

Action Makes – We’re really excited to get into the nitty gritty at the Silver Dollar on Friday night at 11 with these local rockers and California’s Crocodiles. It will be sweaty, distorted and glorious. Sure, the band plays this venue frequently, but we keep missing them and finally plan on getting in on the hubbub.

ALSO: Volcano Playground, Nightbox, Bravestation, Heartbeat Hotel, Dora Alexander, Allie Hughes, Sports and The Darcys

The Other Canadians:

Pat Jordache – We’ve recently been introduced to Montrealer Pat’s intriguingly beautiful new album Future Songs and are excited to see it put to the live setting on Wednesday at 9 at the Garrison. He’s got a very low voice that’s sometimes distorted put to pleasant, ear-picker-upper tunes.

Amen at the Bazaar – This one-man-band from Montreal has quite the complicated electro set-up, but if he feels overwhelmed or stuck in notes at all, he doesn’t show it. His Noor EP is quirky and catchy, and it should be interesting to see it performed live at the Velvet Underground, Friday at 8.

Suuns – Well apparently all our ‘other Canadian’ main picks are from Montreal, but we’re okay with that. This trance-y rock band will bring all the right kinds of adventurous darkness to the Horseshoe on Thursday at midnight.

Humans - This Vancouver DJ duo bring the weird party to the Garrison Saturday at 10 with their West Coast-drenched electro beats. We caught them at CMW and while a lot of things went wrong for them during that set, it led us to want to see and dance to them again. We know they’ll have better luck this time. Plus, our eyebrows definitely raised when they started off that set covered in blankets.

ALSO: Bent By Elephants, Braids, Chad VanGaalen, Shad, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Matters, Harlan Pepper and Slow Down, Molasses

Check out the full NXNE 2011 music schedule here.

The month will also see anticipated album releases by locals Timber Timbre as well as those from tUnE-yArDs, The Kills, Of Montreal and more.

In terms of more local acts, we have some fun highlights:

Neon Windbreaker – This five-piece has been racking up references for their jokes and lax business models (such as selling their music with food at a concert) and for some of their members’ other work (Eric Warner runs the We Are Busy Bodies label and is a popular promoter, Jonathan Dekel is a music journalist who’s been tagged as a gossip digger, etc.). I’ve heard stories of their crazy live shows and I’m impressed without even seeing or hearing for myself. As for what they sound like, from the two songs on their CBC Radio 3 page, I can tell you there are screams and pounding guitars.

Neon Windbreaker will play Parts and Labour on the 15^th with a band also called Parts and Labor and Child Bite.

Papermaps – Formerly known as EX~PO, this foursome have re-branded and will release their self-titled album on the 19^th. It’s clear pop rock, as most evident in their single “Reunion,” a contagious radio-ready ditty. I could see them opening for the Sam Roberts Band someday as they have a similar sound in their guitars and keyboards and, at least on record, a lot of energy.

Papermaps will play Sneaky Dee’s the 29^th with the Cheap Speakers and Ketch Harbour Wolves.

Sports – When I first heard the two new Sports singles “Slacking Scholar” and “Behind Me,” I thought it had to be two separate bands. While the first is beachy, nostalgic and light, the second is dark, heavy and has a bass line that makes me think of playing Rock Band. I still can’t quite wrap my head around it, but the difference has become a fun anecdote when thinking of this up-and-coming band. I like their 2009 EP and I’m interested in finding out how the rest of their debut full-length turns out.

Listen to the two singles and their EP at their Bandcamp page.

As for some other great concerts this month, check out:

• Local indie dreamers Heartbeat Hotel have a residency at the Magpie on the 9^th, 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th with some cool guests such as Foxes in Fiction.

• Psychedelics The Black Angels with dark and mysterious Suuns at Lee’s on the 14^th

• Party man Rich Aucoin and Gobble Gobble at the Kapisanan Cultural Centre on the 16^th

• Jose Gonzalez’s gorgeous band Junip at Lee’s on the 20^th

Check out more of my writing on music at RoundLetters and you can follow me on Twitter @roundletters, too.

If you’re interested in who to see at night though, I made up a list and check out the schedule.

Live Near Bellwoods: The Living Room Sessions

The Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music is pairing up with the Musebox, Spinner, Humble Empire and Ta2 Sound & Music to bring us three full days of daytime music. There will be 6-7 bands Thursday, Friday and Saturday in a fake living room on Queen Street West for 30 minutes each. Some highlights include Allie Hughes and Rich Aucoin on Thursday, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Hooded Fang and Aidan Knight and the Wilderness of Manitoba on Friday.

Visit the Facebook event page here.

Sonic Boom’s In-store Performances

A few of our local record shops do in-stores on a regular basis, but festivals kick up the oomph a notch. Sonic Boom clearly does it the best (and not just because they have a built-in stage and equipment in the basement), they’ve been able to snag the big names (probably because of the $25 gift card), can fit the most people, offer custom-made posters for a $1 donation and have a food bank donation box. They’ve announced some big names for the in-stores Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including The Most Serene Republic, J Mascis and Karkwa respectively.

Check out the full lineup poster here.

Indie Love Radio’s VIP Lounge Performances and Interviews

Melissa DiMarco, known to most Canadians as Degrassi: TNG’s Principal Hatzilakos, is a big fan of doing celebrity interviews. She has a television show on CityTV for it, Out There with Melissa DiMarco, and now she’s paired with Indie Love Radio for Canadian Music Week interviews for the second year. The pairing will broadcast some interesting interviews and short performances at the Royal York’s VIP Lounge from Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. Guests this year include Amos the Transparent, D-Sisive, The Ruby Spirit, Charlotte Cornfield and more.

Read more and listen in on Indie Love.

You can see more of my CMW predictions and general music fascinations on RoundLetters, and my excited live tweeting of the festival @roundletters.

There’s a new reality show in Canada that doesn’t involve crazy club-hoppers, people who think they can host a proper dinner party (but really can’t) or those who think they can be the next Canadian Idol. What it does have are indie musicians trying to catch their big break from the industry professionals who get to travel across the country searching for new talent.

The name of the game is From Far and Wide. Musicians apply online for a slot and then, if chosen, they will duke it out with three other competitors on an episode for each Canadian province. The winner of the episode will go onto a final battle of all the provinces for the opportunity to record an EP, while the runner-up will get a three song demo.

Check out the trailer for the first episode (Ontario), which features previously Dork Shelf-mentioned artists Hands & Teeth. You can even see them play live tomorrow in Toronto at Parts & Labour with Heartbeat Hotel ($5 / Doors at 10 / 19+)

Artists interested in applying should email fromfarandwide@gmail.com.