PRINCESS CENTURY, A DREAM, A COAST and NYSSA at the Garrison, Friday, April 24. Rating: NNN
Those expecting Princess Century’s darker, more sinister side got a surprisingly melodic, dance-floor-focused set at her Friday night Garrison appearance. Born Maya Postepski, the member of operatic dark-wavers Austra seamlessly manipulated Korgs and Moogs, with a laptop perched behind her and psychedelic light projections glowing over top.
“I’m sorry these songs are so sad,” she told the group of dancers near the front of the stage, who clearly didn’t mind at all. So much so that when she played her final song, the crowd booed loudly. Encores are rare in electronic music, but Postepski was game, offering up a complexly arpeggiated song she’d just written in Texas while showcasing at SXSW.
Earlier in the night, we also got new music from Nyssa, who just released five-song EP My Body Is Not A Temple last week, and also from A Dream, A Coast. In fact, it was the Aimee Bessada-led five-piece’s first show, and they premiered tunes from an album tentatively set for release this fall.
Bessada has been working and recording with songwriting genius Linda Perry in L.A. for the last few years, and the resulting songs are hooky without being sugary (thanks in part to Bessada’s deep vocals), and keep musicianship high.
It helped that stellar local players like DIANA/Army Girls Carmen Elle was on lead guitar, tossing off fret-tapped solos with ease (though Bessada is also no slouch in the guitar-soloing department), while Vag Halen’s Morgan Doctor kept things rock steady and dynamic. A song about moving west had a 50s-sock-hop feel, while one (possibly titled) Tell A Lie was pure rock and roll passion.
A band to keep an eye on, for sure.
carlag@nowtoronto.com | @carlagillis
