PRINCE INNOCENCE with ELL V GORE and MAUSOLEUM at the Silver Dollar, Saturday, May 5. Rating: NNN
In its quest to promote young Toronto bands irrespective of genre or style, last year’s inaugural Thaw Festival presented some lineups that were eclectic, and one or two that were downright wacky.
The final night of this year’s festival, rechristened No Thaw, showed that the organizers have largely abandoned that paint-at-the-walls approach, though they’ve retained the focus on fresh and underappreciated local sounds.
All of the bands on the bill at the Silver Dollar seemed to draw from the same well, and that well was located in the ‘70s/’80s British underground. Mausoleum’s wiry post-punk resembled the Cure at their rockiest, but was a little rough around the edges. Ell V Gore, despite a noisy style that flirts with No Wave, are a tight, well-oiled unit that seems to improve every time they play. Definitely one of the city’s most underrated bands.
The night’s late-night draw was Prince Innocence, the new duo from Josh McIntyre of Little Girls and his girlfriend, Talvi Faustmann. McIntyre covered both keys and drums (giving it a bit more of a “live” flavour), while the towering Faustman’s spectral, airy voice provided some gravity.
Their dark take on ‘80s synth pop (which would have been at home on the soundtrack to Drive) was impressively atmospheric and hooky, though Faustman’s occasionally stilted stage presence provided a reminder that, yes, this was their very first performance.
