The DB Buxton Revue

If you happen to be from Edmonton and have spent any amount of time on the popularly loved/hated Whyte Avenue, chances are you know Daniel Buxton. Spending the last ten years busking in front of the Army and Navy store, he is endearingly referred to as Edmonton's Chad Vangaalen. Fuck that. Vangaalen's got nothing on this guy.

Within the first week of living here I wandered with a few friends into the Black Dog, the unprententious hipster hangout of Whyte, for a couple of drinks. Moments later, The DB Buxton Revue did a quick line check, then subsequently blew my mind.

Reminiscent of garage-gospel greats like Arthur Lee of Love and Ian Svenonius of The Make-Up, Buxton screams, moans, kicks, jumps and thrusts his rhythm guitar riffs through hit after hit, including a catchy pop song about fucking his ex-girlfriend from behind after she does some cocaine. If you ask him how long of a set he would like to play, he responds by saying that he can play for four hours if you want him to (his ex might not be the only one doing lines!).

His backing band is equally impressive, pulling off killer soul-filled bass lines, catchy keyboard melodies and the jazzy drumbeats of Jenni Roberts. You can't help but get up and dance, especially when he asks you to with his cute crooked-toothed smile.

Recently releasing their new EP, No Refund, Buxton recently went on a mini-tour eastward with friends Illfit Outfit (they share drummer Jenni Roberts) and Doug Hoyer (also in Illfit Outfit). No Refunds is an amazing recording from start to finish, delving beyond just one sound into ballads, disco, and grimy pop, amplifying the notion that he has had a lot of time to develop his style(s). Case in point: the funk/rock title track "No Refund" is well-seasoned and matured to a steamy perfection.

Check them out, kids; The DB Buxton Revue may just put Edmonton back in the spotlight.

www.myspace.com/dbbuxton

The Sizes of Things to Come

Victoria, British Columbia is located on Vancouver Island, and is sometimes referred to as the City of Gardens, and in spring the coastal city abounds with blossoming tulips. Also blossoming is Victoria’s indie music scene, producing some serious heavy-hitters that are branching out and taking over the entire country, city by city. Shapes and Sizes are one Victoria band that has recently made the move from Victoria to indie music hot-spot Montreal, and Montreal has responded with open arms. Quirky, frenetic, and fun, this four-piece make you feel like you wish you would have heard this kind of music as a kid. Caila is the foursome’s cute, boyish, short-haired lead, who’s unassuming off-stage presence is diametrically opposite from her on-stage ownership of rocking out. Hard. With a microphone and keyboard in front of her, and electric guitar strapped on her back (and mid-song capably flipping it around to play it), she magically tells stories that transport listeners to a place where “rock and roll” and “indie music” no longer exist . . . only awe, surprise and high energy matter. They are in tune with such sound-makers as Animal Collective, Deerhoof, and the new strain of bands that are uninhibited and refuse to follow formulas or conform to indie’s mainstream. On a cross-Canada and US tour this past summer with Montreal’s Miracle Fortress and Vancouver’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Shapes and Sizes will no doubt become one of those bands that changes how music is (and isn’t) defined, regardless of whether or not people can wrap their head around them.
Let's hope these kids come back out to Western Canada this year to grace us again with their awesome presence.

Check out their pretty website at www.shapesandsizes.ca, and their myspace at www.myspace.com/shapesandsizes.

No Gold (Formerly Yukon)

Another great band with Victoria roots is No Gold, previously known as Yukon (the crowd, when asked for ideas, suggested "Golden" at their last Kelowna show). I’m not sure which I prefer as far as names go, but these guys are definitely worth checking out. Self-decribed on their myspace account as “Tropical, Healing and Easy Listening”, it’s true that they are all of these things, but these guys also know how to rock out, making you want to dance while sipping on a mojito. Recently relocating to Vancouver from Victoria, the trio consists of Jack Jutesen playing pretty guitar riffs, Liam Butler delivering smooth vocals and bass lines, and Haley Pearse rocking dancey drums. They have toured (and played) with Adrian Orange from Portland, Oregon of Thanksgiving fame, providing his backing band for his off-the-hook indie rock/folk anthem-esque songs. If you are into Vampire Weekend, you'll like these guys, who have been rocking out long before those young kids. Have a listen, and watch for them coming through your town, as they may just be one of the best live shows I've seen this year.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhwgfpOy4Us

www.myspace.com/goldentombs

Tour Dates:

24 Mar 2008 20:00 Media Club w/ Plants & Animals - Vancouver
5 Apr 2008 20:00 EDGEFEST at Hoko’s w/ International Falls,
Mt. Eerie, Candles, Octoberman - Vancouver
15 May 2008 20:00 Thunderbird Radio Hell - CITR.ca
21 May 2008 20:00 O'Flannigans Pub w/ International Falls - Kelowna

Brent Randall and His Pinecones

Brent Randall and His Pinecones, hailing from Halifax Nova Scotia, are a little rare gem - the kind you stumble across and wonder why these friendly east-coasters aren’t playing sold-out stadiums internationally. A throw-back to the singer/songwriter days of the likes of Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman, watching him and his Pinecones in action makes you feel as though you are catching one of Bob Dylan’s first shows (and he kinda looks like him!) . . . you will
want everyone you know to see him and buy his album (and give you credit for finding him first). Quite Precisely is a sophomore album, that, as the name suggests, is polished, professional and precise . . . all the while staying uniquely upbeat and mysterious all at once. With galloping drumbeats, masterful minor-chord keyboard, and carefully crafted vocals, this album is amazingly unsigned and beautifully produced by the Halifax artist collective “Just Friends Records”. The album artwork is spot-on as well . . . intriguing Alice in Wonderland-style drawings, photos and fonts complete the overall thematic scope that is fully accomplished. Oh, and if you have the pleasure of seeing them live, they also wear matching mustard-yellow jackets, sewn by one of the Pinecones herself.
This month, they hit the road with the following tour dates:

28 Mar 2008 22:00 Astoria w/BA Johnston - Vancouver
29 Mar 2008 20:00 Little Mountain Studios w/BA Johnston, Greenbelt
Collective, Collapsing Opposites - Vancouver
30 Mar 2008 22:00 Logan’s Pub w/ BA Johnston, Vincat - Victoria
31 Mar 2008 20:00 Blue Gator w/ BA Johnston, Mutton and the Whale,
Kelsey and Elise - Kelowna
1 Apr 2008 22:00 Royal Hotel w/BA Johnston - Nelson
3 Apr 2008 22:00 Royal Hotel w/BA Johnston - Fernie
4 Apr 2008 22:00 Canmore Hotel w/BA Johnston - Canmore

Check them out at:

www.myspace.com/brentrandall