Gene Ral: Middle East Correspondent

Gene Ral recently ventured to Halifax's most infamous subterranean venue to sample the finest garage-rock Israel has to offer. Monotonix, a 3-piece wrecking ball from Tel Aviv, came to the maritimes to offer up a live show unlike any Gene has ever experienced. Past shows by these Israelites have included flaming drum kits, singer Ami Shalev diving into the crowd from the balcony, crowd surfing on a kick drum, and a fan lighting himself on fire… With the knowledge that Monotonix shows are prone to being shut down almost immediately by police on account of unruly band behaviour, Gene suspected he might actually be safer in the Gaza Strip. Perhaps it was fear for his safety that drove Gene to down an excess of 'Horse Power', the bar's special brew of 'beer' that delivers an effect akin to a horse kick to the head, before the band took the stage.

As Gene's horse power reached a maximum, Monotonix's maniacal members emerged from backstage wearing only the shortest of shorts and the longest of facial/chest/back/head hair. They proceeded to set up their amps on the frontmost edge of the stage, and the drum-set in the middle of the dancefloor/mosh-pit/sauna, all while engaging in a stretching routine that would have brought proud tears to the eyes of Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod. As soon as the music started, one didn't need to question why the stretching was necessary. Front man, Ami Shalev, shot like a Hezbollah rocket into the crowd which sent us into a frenzy. People were falling over, bodies were thrown into the drum kit, knocking over cymbals, we were upside down, inside out, easy over, and sunny side up. Gene could even be seen playing the crash cymbal with his fist.

Shalev showed off his colours as a true band leader, leading his band by picking up and moving pieces of the drum kit all over the venue… At one point, the guitarist was standing on a table in the middle of the bar playing the kick drum, while the drummer played the remaining pieces of his kit in the mosh pit, all while Shalev swung from the rafters screaming like a lunatic. Next, the show invaded the men's washroom then exploded back into the bar amidst a blizzard of soiled paper towels. The ensuing riot was breathtaking, literally, just trying to keep up with the band could have put a strain on Lance Armstrong's lungs. The band did their best to use every inch of the venue, and Gene kept pace. They only stopped playing long enough for Shalev to yell instructions to the raucous crowd. He could have been speaking English, Arabic, or Hebrew, it didn't matter, we were all deaf by then anyway.

When all was said and done Gene emerged whiplashed, deaf in both ears, with bruised knuckles, soaked in a mixture of Horse Power and sweat... and a Zionist.

Monotonix - Body Language

Serge goes to a Christmas party

Anytime the night ends with Phantom II blaring at 4am, you know its been a good night. Maybe not for the roommates, but definitely for NLG. As it was on Saturday, which was the night of Serge’s annual work Christmas party. Held at a fancy Cole Harbour establishment, this black tie event showcases The Man’s talent in their finest evening attire. Following suit, Serge arrived wearing his Strellson Rick James with a flask of Aberlour in his breast pocket and the younger, taller version of Don Draper in tow. While Donny entertained the female guests, Serge parlayed the waiter Jose into bringing over a case of wine and filling up their glasses as if they had a hole in the bottom. Serge then displayed some dance maneuvers that would have made John Travolta look knock-kneed and any observers get vertigo; they included the flying knee slide and fist-pumping from the top of a table. However, the best was yet to come: it came when Serge pulled the ol’ champagne trick with a beer bottle—the one where you hold your thumb over the opening and spray while you shake as if you just won the Monte Carlo Grand Prix. For some reason, it wasn’t too well received by Serge’s fellow coworkers, and a slightly disappointed Serge was told to “calm down”. However, he didn’t remain downtrodden for long. A couple of gin-waters later and he was fired up again, unfortunately, however, just as the function was winding down. Luckily, there is always Phantom II and there is always an afterparty where Phantom II is playing. So Serge went home, cranked up the speakers and threw a couple chairs against the wall, all in the name of having a good time.

Justice - Phantom Part II

NLG gets Grinderman'd

What happens when you mix a general practitioner on a tax-deductible work trip, one half of the No Look Guns, a bottle of fireball, and Nick Cave and his band of virtuoso Ozark musicians? A black eye, a couple of headaches and a pile of receipts for the taxman, that’s what.

The aforementioned med (Dr. Roberts), a No Look Gunner from the wild interior hub of Okanagan Falls, was in town for a professional development course and was convinced the entire night would be a tax write off. He lured Serge to the dark world of Nick Cave’s alter-ego band, Grinderman, and into the sold out Commodore show with promises of tax deductible drinks and a bottle of whiskey in his boot.

Like moths attracted to a bug zapper on a sticky night in the Deep South, the crowd at the Ballroom—a meaty soup of freaks—were drawn to Nick Cave. Polygamists, satyrs, a Cyclops and a host of other miscreants crawled towards Cave’s omnipotent presence as if it were the ethereal equivalent of the fly-lamp, while the theologically laced lyrics and wickedly talented band of Ozark looking musicians provided the southern feel. Cave truly did seem god-like; he almost literally squeezed the huge venue of 1500 people into a tiny square in front of him. With liquid courage fueled by Dr. Roberts’ expense account, NLG made their way to the front— getting so close to the Grinderman that at one point Dr Roberts claimed that he was not holding onto the front railing, but Nick Cave’s balls. With proximity came a price, though. When Cave began breathing the heavy lyrics to “Heathen Child”, the crowd of idolaters took this as some sort of cultish summoning. This set off a physical and psychological battering of NLG that included front wedgies, ear pokes, a clothesline to Dr. Roberts’ neck and a sucker punch to the left eye of Serge. However, rather than back down, NLG heard their own war cry—Cave’s spewing rant about a prudent fan, “No Pussy Blues”. Whipped into an adrenaline-induced blackout, Serge and Dr. Roberts didn’t see each other again until they found one another outside after the show. Serge was peddling the setlist for Marlboro Lights and the Doc was holding a teatowel with Nice Cave’s face on it. Deciding to make the accountant back in OK Falls even more jealous when he sees the receipts from the evening, the two headed to the local gentleman’s club to add to the pile. Now let’s just hope the CRA doesn’t audit Dr. Roberts and ruin all the fun.

Grinderman - No Pussy Blues

Grinderman's website

Do you know who Dan Mangan is?

We at NLG have come across a lot of people who don’t know who Dan Mangan is, but judging by the back to back sold out shows at the Vogue Theatre he just put on in Vancouver, there are a lot of people who do know this curly mop top baritone belter. And for good reason. If his cunning songwriting and uniquely addictive delivery were good enough to pack two shows on an otherwise bumping Remembrance Day weekend, they were also good enough to bring NLG (temporarily) out of (semi) retirement. NLG’s delegate to the show, Serge (Gene being still on assignment to Acadia), was delighted to experience firsthand all the favourites from Mangan’s Polaris prize nominated album Nice, Nice, Very Nice. However, Serge was even more delighted by the new songs Mangan chose to try out on the willing crowd. Each of them happened to pluck a different heart string of Serge; as well as the entire audience it seemed, judging by the number of calls for Mr. Mangan to remove his top. Serge’s top three new songs from Mr. Mangan, based entirely on Serge’s subjective favour of what they referenced:
1. Rows of Houses for being written about the classic film Stand By Me
2. Jeopardy, for being introduced by an impression of Sean Connery ("I'll take Anal Bum Covers for $500")
3. Leaves, Trees, Forests for Dan suggesting that he drinks beers alone by the phone

Dan Mangan - Sold

Buy Dan's music here

Byrning Down The House

In continuation of our love for all things Talking Heads, NLG shares the latest gems uncovered from the quarry that is the mind of former Heads’ frontman David Byrne. The first is a talk given by Byrne for a TED Conference about the role architecture has played in the evolution of music. With characteristic head-waggles, hand-wiggles, and shoulder-shrugs, Byrne claims it is “first the vessel, then the passion”—to which we couldn’t agree more.

However, if you are like us and have a hard time seeing this genius writhing on stage for even a short amount of time without getting a serious itch for some new wave, here is a modern day classic from Byrne and long-time collaborator, Brian Eno.
David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones

Finally, if you like the concept behind Byrne’s speech, check out the building he made into a musical instrument (for the sound installation called Playing the Building).

Daryl's House

After a two month hiatus from NLG, Gene Ral has found himself lost in a haze of 80’s adult contemporary, and loving every saxophone-filled minute of it. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a little gem called 'Live From Daryl's House', wherein 1980’s biggest egomaniac, Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates infamy) invites modern musicians over to his house so he can boast about his musical accomplishments and force them to perform his hit songs. A highlight from the series comes in Episode 10, when Daryl invites the boys from Chromeo over to impart some of his drum-machine wisdom on them, and so the boys can help him recreate the magic of his timeless classic, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”.

The following clip provides probably the most pleasure one can legally receive in 10 minutes and 33 seconds.

Stress

The Hunt For Red Jimmy

Five No Look Gunners. A rusty '91 Chevy Beauville. Every implement of destruction imaginable. One mission: Find Jimmy.

Prowling around somewhere in the sand dunes of a wealthy seaside Oregon town is the man that started it all. The entire No Look Gun way of life. True to his nature, Jimmy's exact location is a mystery. The only clues we have to his whereabouts is a Manzanita watering hole called the Sandpiper, tire marks outside a half-finished waterfront mansion, and a stunt-limbed exotic dancer in Portland. But to us, the only things standing in our way of finding this giant-footed gambling boozehound is a chunk of wasteland called Washington State, $12 cases of PBR, and the most beautiful drive in the world: the Pacific Coast Highway.

Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway

NLG has a Hooker Pop at Funky Winker Beans

If any of this talk of getting under the bedcovers, kittens, and romantic songs had us sounding a little soft, NLG's latest journey to the darkest part of Vancouver would probably convince anyone otherwise. Accompanied by 75% crazy 25% sane Lord Vatarro and a couple of other cats, No Look Guns took their lives in their hands and took down a big swig of Hooker Pop at East Hasting's favourite venue, Funky Winker Beans. Hooker Pop was not actually some crude cocktail squeezed from the corner of Main and Hastings, but is in fact a fresh faced metal act that played music like it is supposed to be: with no rules. Demonstrating funk rhythms on bass and some solid shredding on the axe, these kids slowed up only enough to let the mosh catch their breath. Their skanky metal came out surprisingly clean considering there was a man passed out over an amp and a couple making out on the soundboard. Their smashing metal induced some wild scenes indeed, mostly courtesy of Lord Vatarro, including giving a female fan a punk-rock heave across the mosh and downing a full beer on stage after chipping in on the mike. As for Serge, he got whiplash from somewhere deep in the middle of the set and hasn't looked back since--he can't!

Unfortunately metal bands don't seem to know how to upload songs to their myspace

NLG honours cats

Being cat owners (though not by choice), it seems fitting that NLG should pay homage to our special little feline companions. Since spending time with our respective cats is not something we particularly enjoy, we figured a more pleasurable alternative would be to dedicate an entire segment to songs about cats (for songs by cats see Cat Stevens and the Meow Mix song).

First on the docket is “Alley Cats” off Hot Chip’s latest release, One Life Stand. This song apparently features vocals from Bubbles of Trailer Park Boys, though he is not credited on the album. Initially, one might be uplifted by this song, until hearing the lyrics about dying alone and killing things you love. However, in spite of the morbidity of the lyrics, it’s catchier than a bad case of fleas.
Hot Chip - Alley Cats

Next, we have “The Lovecats” by The Cure. Robert Smith and his big-haired, goth-pop bandmates bring Felus catus to the forefront with this 1983 feral tail of courtship. “The Lovecats” is a ferociously jazzy number, which features a bass-line so sharp it has Roy Horn shaking in his white leather boots.
The Cure - The Lovecats

Lastly, we give you Bob Dylan’s “Cat’s in the Well”, which could be about a cat but you’re never really sure with this guy.
Bob Dylan – Cat’s in the Well

NLG's Got You Covered

This edition of NLG’s Got You Covered, our first rodeo of putting up a set of cover songs, will follow one of our favourite themes—classic songs sung by women. To us, there is nothing better than to get under the covers with one of your favourite female voices, a list that should now include Inara George of the duo The Bird and the Bee. On March 23, she and bandmate Greg will release an album entirely full of covers of Hall & Oates classics. NLG was lucky enough to get our paws on its single “I Can’t Go For That”, a song so smooth it could coax a rabbit into a foxhole, and about as sensible as Simone de Beauvoir in a black-and-white fur coat. Of course, no discussion of sensibility would be complete without mention of Emily Haines of Metric, who does an irresistible acoustic version of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It's Alright”. After this sultry rendition we certainly wouldn’t be thinking twice. And finally, for you punky types, the quick and dirty “Heard It Through The Grapevine” by the 70’s punker chicks, The Slits.
The Bird and the Bee - I Can't Go For That (Hall & Oates cover)
Metric - Don't Think Twice It's Alright (Bob Dylan cover)
The Slits - Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye cover)

Humans after all

In an unbelievable continuance of events, the Post-Chromeo shenanigans delivered almost as much, if not more, sensory delights than the main event itself. Graciously invited to the official after party by a Mr. Ewan Forest (many thanks again), NLG found themselves in an makeshift art demo warehouse, surrounded by metal sculptures, aerodynamic haircuts, and a piece of bicycle powered artwork to match the spider vehicle parked outside. We were in 1960’s Paris, east Berlin, and a dive bar in Rio all at the same time. In fact, the Bowen Island Cream Ale cans were the only thing that reminded us we were still in Vancouver, and they were flowing like water thanks entirely to former track star D.H. Lawerence’s heroic half-marathon sprint—his second of the night—to the gas station cashback.

As if our appetites for musical confections were not perfectly sated by the Chromeo concert, the opening DJs at this venue endeavored to feed us an gourmet four-course meal, from Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" to the musical equivalent of duck confit—“Naïve Melody”. Demonstrated by one female’s garish response to Gene’s controversial use for a plaid button-up shirt, this tune turned up the heat on the simmering hedonism of the crowd and had us sweating with anticipation for the main act.

Enter Humans. Although their name suggests civilization and development, the duo of Robbie and Peter played such explosive party music they had the crowd acting like Cro-Magnon cavemen. Seemingly armed with instruments that would have difficulty making noise in a library, and having delirious revelers literally draped over them while playing, the question of how these homo sapiens made so much noise that was so good still baffles us…though at the time it had us shooting no look ten-gun salutes to every human in sight. Peter’s beats were so slick and Robbie’s vocals so remarkably clean that for a second we thought we found a solution for oil spills. However, on this night, the only thing that was being spilled was the sheer exuberance from the Humans’ set—captured by such explosive NLG’s from the band after the show (see above) that we are still sneezing gunpowder.

NLG gets Chromeo'd

A journey to a most questionable part of Vancouver led NLG and friends to The Great Northern Way Campus, a structure that would attempt to house the explosive salaciousness of Chromeo. Having only two tickets between the four of us, and it being a sold out show, we weren’t sure how we were going to work the entrance. However, after a premature departure of one quarter of our crew, and the acquisition of an out of date ‘Olympic Performer’ badge, NLG’s D.H. Lawrence was able to “I don’t know” himself through the front door, joining Serge and Gene in what promised to be a most satisfying evening.

After a plethora of seemingly excessive wrist and hand stamps, we stumbled into what appeared to be an obscenely trendy art show, with little to no art and absolutely no ATM. Realizing we had enough cash for three beers between the three of us, and also realizing our dependence on liquor, we had to make a mad dash for the nearest gas station for a quick cash back… which turned into a half-marathon sprint through the industrial sector of Vancouver.

We returned just in time, as the trademark Wizard-of-Oz-esque chant of Chromeo-Oh-Oh emphatically announced the arrival of the Chromatic super duo, known individually as Dave 1 and P-Thugg. This hastily put an end to the art show atmosphere and transformed The Great Northern Way Campus into a thunderdome of unabashed elect-retro-funk that had the 1980’s wishing it were born 30 years later. Right from the get go, Dave 1’s guitar stylings were so sharp and so clean they could have performed a flawless appendectomy, while P-Thugg’s ruthless synth work and talk-box prodigiousness provided the perfect anesthetic. On top of that, Chromeo’s set was packed full of more sexual innuendoes than a Disney Movie, and had enough cowbell to satisfy Christopher Walken’s strongest urge. NLG couldn’t contain ourselves as we showed off our fancy footwork, 2-stepping and looking for bonafied lovin’ from needy girls of all sorts.

For some lucky fans, the price of admission entailed much more just an exhilarating electrastic dance party, as two lucky young ladies wound up wearing elements of P-Thugg’s patriotic athletic apparel, and countless other fans acquiring the numerous drum/cowbell sticks tossed to the audience… even NLG’s Serge is now the proud owner of one.

After all was said and done, and a tremendous time had by all, we spilled out into the deserted rail-yard that surrounded the venue. There we found a young lady (looking like she came straight off the set of Water World) driving a mechanical spider (really), who guided us smoothly to a scintillating afterparty. To be continued...

Here’s the most romantic song of the 21st century

Chromeo - 100%

All work, all play for The Arkells

Last week NLG took a trip to Ontario, or rather Vancouver’s Ontario House, where the Arkells had the honour of representing the most populous province for Olympic visitors. Hailing from the steel town of Hamilton, ON, the Arkells played a rock n roll that was so blue collar they made Bruce Springsteen look like a government worker. Exuding more elbow grease than a Russian mechanic, they conveyor-belted out songs about punching in timecards and John Lennon (a true working class hero) with vocals that were as raw and strong as iron ore. Their driving and powerful guitar riffs were skillfully fused with blues and Motown elements, which included a hammering rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” that had the crowd stomping their workboots and Serge looking for a hard hat for fear of the roof coming down. The last song they played, the punchy “Oh! The Boss Is Coming”, was so rowdy that it may have just inspired the whole crowd to take collective sick day the following morning. From what may be the hardest working band in Canada:

The Arkells - Oh! The Boss Is Coming

Line ups are for grown ups

After waiting in a line that was the largest congregation of people NLG had ever seen long enough to glimpse Mother Mother through a chain link fence, and arriving at La Maison du Quebec (otherwise known as the Quebec House) just in time to see Malajube dismantling their set, one would think that NLG’s foiled attempts at free shows during the 2010 Olympics would get us down. Hardly the case. Even though the line to get into Wilco stretched past NLG’s East Van hangout location (or was that to get a free Vitamin Water?) and with hell even the Saskatchewan House being plugged up, we are just pleased that Canada’s talented acts are getting the world stage. Loyal supporters of bands from the Great White North, we can imagine nothing better than some Norwegian biathlon fans inadvertedly subjected to fast rockin’ Les Breastfeeders or Constantines or the highly entertaining ramblings of Buck 65. Of course we would rather be there ourselves, but unless athletes such as Jennifer Heil quit being so captivating and making us drink so much while they win medals, there is no way we will get in line early enough to see anything. At least we can wait until they all come back to play at the Biltmore when the town is back to normal!

For the Norwegian biathlon fans:

Apologies to what may have been White Denim

Dear White Denim,

We woke up face down on my landlord’s living room floor, fully clothed, feeling like we had been cast in a cheap remake of the hangover movie. We knew we had been to your show the night before, but could only start to make out the details of the night by piecing together the bar receipts that were spilling out the pockets of our still-on jeans. This led to a general review of what was left of our personal belongings, which didn’t take very long for Gene, as he was missing some fairly important possessions. Serge, on the other hand, was able to gain some information from sent texts (“Let’s get Tim-Campbell-drunk tonight”). More memories starting dribbling in as we conducted personal physical examinations, revealing a cracked lip for Gene, and scraped elbows and a bruised rib for Serge. A few well-placed phone calls later informed us that not only were we involved in a mosh pit at your show at the Media Club the night previous, but we may well have instigated it. That’s when we realized that perhaps we (namely Serge) were a little too familiar with the members of your band after the show. We’d like you to know that it was all meant well and that we quite enjoyed your performance, at least from what we can recall. Maybe when you are back in town we can have a beer or two and forget all about it.

Sincerely,

No Look Guns

PS Your videos are great

2 minutes 45 seconds

Buy some white denim
iTunes white denim

NLG goes to Phoenix

This past weekend marked the commencement of Vancouver’s “Cultural Olympiad”, a two month long cluster-fest of insane entertainment (may or may not include winter Olympics) that has NLG drooling on our v-necks.

Stop one on NLGs celebration of the Cultural Olympiad: a show by a little group of Frenchmen called Phoenix.

After a hasty repast courtesy of Falafel Town, home of Vancouver’s best falafel, we arrived at the Orpheum Theatre at 8:50 PM, only to find we had missed opening act, You Say Party! We Say Exclamation Mark! Feeling slightly saddened by this, and by that fact that we were rudely accused of not being drunk enough, we decided to improve our situation by relocating ourselves from our seats in the upper balcony to a standing position in the front row. Thanks to insufficient security, this proved to be no problem at all.

Then came Phoenix, a French revolution of pure unbridled vibrancy, with musical consummation smoother and more satisfying than the finest chèvre. Opening with the oh-so-sentimental-not-sentimental-no “Lisztomania”, they had us immediately jumpin’ and jivin’ and firing NLGs in all kinds of directions from all sorts of angles. Amid a sea of American Apparel, Serge and Gene were quickly whisked into a separate reality of horizontal stripes and overall musical elation.

At the midway point of the show, during “Love like a sunset”, front-homme Thomas Mars took a prolonged nap on stage, only to rise from the ashes to conduct a Napoleonic invasion of my frontal lobe that lasted until the end of their set.

For their encore, Phoenix attempted to quell the utter lunacy of the crowd by playing a couple acoustic jams, this only resulted, however, in an excess of pent up jubilation that would be released on the unsuspecting musicians as soon as they plugged back in. All it took was one daring individual to hop on stage and before security could grasp the situation, a small city's worth of Phoenix’s most dedicated fans were on stage (Serge and Gene inclusive). Although definitely fearing for their lives, Mars and co. managed to pound out their final two songs whilst being mauled by an overzealous mob of Francophiles, and concluded with a death defying execution of “1901” which threatened to break the stage… if not from sheer weight, then from the water damage caused by the sweat of what felt like 1901 fanatic stage dwellers. The entire experience left Serge and Gene in a state of euphoria, and no doubt gave the Frenchmen a reason to remember Vancouver.

In typical NLG fashion, no night stops when the concert ends. After Gene found himself on the business end of a gutwrench suplex from an estranged redheaded compatriot, it was off to the Cambie for a night cap, while we pondered the amount of phenomenal mayhem in which we had been so fortunate to participate.

This also marks the 3rd time NLG has written about Phoenix... for those keeping score at home.
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Want to buy things from Phoenix?.

A TV Screen?

With two full length albums as critically acclaimed as they are apt for a 3 am dance party in your parents’ basement, incredibly remixable singles, and live shows that are as physically rewarding as aurally, it’s surprising that LCD Soundsystem isn’t the biggest band in the world right now. Well, perhaps its that Punk/Funk/Disco House isn’t exactly accessible to the masses, or the fact that their name doesn’t fail to bring to mind the thought of home entertainment sets. Still, their first single “Losing My Edge” is as ‘relevant’ as it was when it was released almost 9 years ago, with their most recent album Sound of Silver and latest single “Bye Bye Bayou” keeping blogs buzzing with remixes ever since. With a new album set to come out this spring, as well as a just-announced tour, our guess is that LCD’s days of getting confused with flatscreens are soon over. From their 2005 debut album:

LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations
Like LCD Soundsystem? Buy things from them.

So much for the Weekend

I was under the impression that the saying went, ‘everybody’s working for the weekend’. Well, now it looks like Serge is working on the weekend. Serge had his travel plans to go back and get roonied on the island cut short, as The Man informed me that Saturday would now be joining lunch breaks and evenings as the latest to become corporate property.

I thought perhaps listening to Vampire Weekend’s latest album, Contra, might cheer me up a little. After all, this was one of the most anticipated albums to come out since the soundtrack to the Big Chill…that is, until Vampire Weekend decided to pre-release two of its tracks, Horchata and White Sky. At the time, I really wasn’t sure why Ezra Koenig & Co. would pre-release what I thought must surely be the album’s worst songs, but as I soon found out, they are definitely not Contra’s worst songs. No, that probably goes to “California English”, in which Ezra uses a vocoder to warble lyrics such as “Fake Philly cheese steak/But she use real toothpaste” against disparate and erratic melodies. Any bright spots? Not really. Which is why we would rather play Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel doing a cover of Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, in which Gabriel contemplates how unnatural it would feel to sing his own name. Now things are looking up.

Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Vampire Weekend cover)

NLG gets a full release

Gene was recently invited to the CD release of your math teacher’s favourite alt-metal/garage-punk band, and good friends of NLG, Carry the One. Seeing as at previous Carry the One shows, I have been politely asked by security to put my shirt back on, and to stop pouring beer on the band members, I knew it was going to be a good night.

We arrived just in time to see opening act Rule 27 taking the stage for their set of original estrogenious indie-pop joints. Apparently Rule 27 states that the two young ladies at the back of the dance floor, near the pillar, must make out for the entire set… they of course obliged. Other females in the crowd may have misinterpreted the rule, or been inspired by the two young ladies at the back of the dance floor, near the pillar, because they too seemed to take a fancy to one another. Come to think of it, maybe Rule 27 isn’t a rule at all, but just three girls who attract a somewhat liberal female crowd and play catchy tunes to accompany the visual stimuli.

After a short intermission, and the consumption of some sort of flaming beverage, it was time for some gradeschool addition as Carry the One took the stage. The summation of 1 drum set, 2 guitars, 1 base, and an infinite value of badass, CTO doesn’t take long to whip the crowd into an unequivocal frenzy. Their power series of greasy guitar licks, and expertly calculated percussive blows had Gene bouncing off fellow fans and fist pumping like a champion (fully clothed this time). At one point, a Dutch-named band member beckoned to the crowd, clearly asking for beer related theatrics, so Gene in typical fashion shoved a beer bottle in his mouth. My generous offer of libation, however, was declined by the tightly pantalooned guitarist… I guess I also did some misinterpreting that night. But all be told, the night was a success.

This was CTO’s last show as residents of Victoria, as they will be moving to Vancouver at the end of the month. Thus if you want to catch a glimpse of these guys in the future, your best bet is to check the smoking section in the grungiest of Vancouver watering holes.

PS- We will have a track up for your ears as soon as a select member of Carry the One figures out how to use the internet.

NLG Introduces: Sir Loin and the Barons of Beef

With a name like this, these local Victoria lads whet the appetite even before their meaty paws lay claim to their instruments. However, the jams that these boys throw down are even beefier than their name would suggest. You might as well call them Sir Loin and the Filet Mignons by virtue of how fine their blend of psychedelic-blues-rock is. First heard by NLG at an open mic night at the Fernwood Inn, we’ve been hankering for another taste of their savory throwback jams ever since. Their cover of David Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” was so good it made us want to order ten bison burgers and eat them all at the same time…and we’re vegetarians.

The Barons and Sir Loin will be playing a set at a benefit show at the Fleet Club in Esquimalt this Saturday the 9th. NLG suggests that if you want to hear some seriously succulent live jams, go check out the Barons this Saturday, and go hungry.

Sir Loin and the Barons of Beef - In the End

More can be heard from Sir Loin and the Barons of Beef on their facebook page. Make sure to sit back and enjoy the track "Midday Blues" (we couldn't steal it from their Flash player).

Serge is leaving home

As of today, NLG’s Serge Eon has been relocated to Vancouver to pursue his career as a suit working for the man. This means that NLG’s range will now straddle the Georgia Strait, with Serge as the mainland correspondent and Gene as the remaining island representative. We have some very exciting plans for the new year, with several tantalizing shows on the horizon and perhaps an exclusive interview or two. Stay tuned…

Best of luck to Serge in the Big Smoke. I’ll let Sir Paul take it from here.
The Beatles - She's Leaving Home