Mark Coatsworth
Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock wows the crowd at Sound Academy Friday.
Wed, Aug 19
DO MAKE SAY THINK at the Polish Combatants Hall Rating: NNNN
While there's a lot to be said for a proper club sound system, nothing suits an odd band like Do Make Say Think better than an unconventional venue like the Polish Combatants Hall. Playing as part of the Bicycle Film Festival, the sprawling instrumental space rock band made the packed venue feel as intimate as a tiny club - impressive considering they don't have a frontperson.
Their cult appeal lies somewhere between the cinematic orchestral experiments of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (who run DMST's label, Constellation) and the eclectic, spacey indie rock of Broken Social Scene (with whom they share members and history). Think hypnotic, droning soundscapes with occasional explosions of heavy guitars.
DMST took the opportunity to preview new material from their upcoming sixth album, Other Truths, alongside old favourites. Don't expect a drastic sound reinvention, but a natural evolution of the style they've honed for the past 13 years.
BENJAMIN BOLES
GENTLEMAN REG & KATIE SKETCH with DIAMOND RINGS as part of Granny Boots at the Gladstone Rating: NNN
Granny Boots, the Gladstone's weekly queer-focused event, hosted the first of three release parties for the Friends In Bellwoods 2 compilation, whose proceeds go to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Diamond Rings, John O'Regan from the D'Urbervilles' solo project, has a voice that's low and tuneful, beats that are primitive and catchy and a stage outfit that includes an acid-washed jean jacket, black spandex tights and pink eye shadow. He dances in a geometric way. Too bad the crowd talked over him.
Just before Gentleman Reg launched into a moving rendition of For Trust, his comp song, Ohbijou's Casey Mecija (who along with James Bunton spearheaded the benefit project) asked people to be quiet. Reg clarified: "Shut the fuck up." Then he and Katie Sketch, formerly of Vancouver's the Organ and current Henhouse proprietor, duetted on two excruciatingly mournful, beautiful tunes that quieted the room.
CARLA GILLIS
Fri, Aug 21
MODEST MOUSE at Sound Academy Rating: NNNN
At the Sound Academy, despite having dropped a recent EP of strong B-sides, Modest Mouse opted to range across their expansive 16-year career. The six-piece played hits from this decade - Dashboard was especially polished - and also ventured back to their modest beginnings with fan favourites All Nite Diner, Shit Luck and Gravity Rides Everything.
The band, which features the most effective two-drummer set-up in rock, was cohesive, although Isaac Brock fumbled his guitar part in Float On. It's easy to forget that their other guitarist is former Smith Johnny Marr, a legend in his own right and a perfect team player who enhances the sound without stealing the spotlight.
Other standouts included dancey The View and death-banjo opener Satin In A Coffin. From their new comp they only played Satellite Skin, omitting the much stronger I've Got It All (Most). The show didn't quite top their sunset performance on Toronto Island in summer 2005, but was still thoroughly enjoyable.
JORDAN BIMM
12TH PLANET at Wrongbar Rating: NNN
We were all ready to check out old-school house legend Todd Terry at Revival when we got a text stating that he was a no-show, so we went over to Wrongbar to hear some new-school dance music from L.A. dubstep up-and-comer 12th Planet instead.
Until a few years ago, 12th Planet was a drum 'n' bass producer named Infiltrata who, seduced by the emerging sounds coming out of London, reinvented himself. In Toronto, the dubstep scene has grown quickly in the past year, meaning that even lesser-known American acts like him can pack them in on a Saturday night.
He threw down some crowd-pleasing wobbly bass anthems and even mixed it up with faster tropical techno numbers, but didn't appear to have much interest in subtlety. Then again, as one anonymous partygoer said, "It's those obnoxious heavy metal dubstep songs that I actually like anyway."
BB