dial613 wonders if The Zoobombs have any trouble clearing customs.

It's relatively quiet this week in town, unless you're standing anywhere in the vicinity of the speakers at The Zoobombs show. From Tokyo, they've gained notoriety for their wild live show, which is precisely what you'd expect from a band named after Sunday bicycle rides to the zoo. dial613 has seen many words used to describe The Zoobombs's sound, a number of which may or may not exist/make sense (kraut-rock anybody?), and thus won't make any attempt to pigeonhole them here; hear them for yourself at their myspace.

Also, Jim Bryson headlines a Lung Cancer Benefit at the Black Sheep on Saturday night, where he'll likely be playing a handful of new material of his cleverly titled upcoming release, Where The Bungalows Roam. You can get a taste from the mp3 down below, which sounds great.
Opening will be fellow Kelpers Camp Radio, as well as Two Dollar Bash, a folk band based in Berlin that sometimes sings in French. Naturally!

Other shows you may be interested in include the spy-fi sounds of locals The Reverb Syndicate on Wednesday, and East Coast Music Award-winners In-Flight Safety, who share the stage with PEI's Two Hours Traffic on Friday night.

What shows are you interested in checking out this week?

W 02.28
The Reverb Syndicate* with The Lipstick Machine, at Zaphod's

Th 03.01
No Other Way* with Radiodazed* and Sadie Hell*, at The Live Lounge
Shout Out Out Out Out with 120 Days, at Zaphod's
Chris Velan with Joshua Morin*, at The Black Sheep Inn
Mike Yates & The Candidates* with John Allaire*, at Avant-Garde Bar

F 03.02
Atherton & The Throw Ups* with Mic Lords, Dead Beat Dads, and Ryan MacIntyre, at Babylon
Cara Luft with Rob Szabo and Ox, at The Black Sheep Inn
Germans with VKNGS, The Soft Disaster*, and Tallships*, at Maverick's
In-Flight Safety with Two Hours Traffic, at Zaphod's

Sa 03.03
The Bloody Hollies with The Double Pumpers*, at Babylon
-->The Double Pumpers - Dyin' To Smile (website, myspace)
Jim Bryson* with Camp Radio* and Two Dollar Bash, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->Jim Bryson - Clear The Crowds (website, myspace)
-->Camp Radio - Cons At The New Moon (website, myspace)
The Zoobombs with Sweet Thing and Good2Go*, at Zaphod's

Su 03.04
Young Galaxy with Acres*, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

United Steel Workers of Montreal, clearly slacking on the job.

First off: look on the sidebar for a whhhack of new show listings, including... meh, dial613 isn't going to say. But suffice it to say that you may be asking somebody to (ahem) please please please get you tickets. Oh geez, dial613 went there.

This week in Ottawa, Geoff Berner returns. dial613 wrote a little about him before his last visit about 6 months ago, which turned out to be a really great show. Shouldn't be any less great this time around, and if that past write-up interests you even in the least, you are as likely to enjoy it as he is to be drunk on stage; and that is pretty much a sure thing.
Maybe there'll be an mp3 up below once dial613 finds its copy of 2005's Whiskey Rabbi there is an mp3 up now; also, you can get a bootleg of an Edmonton show (shortly after his previous Ottawa visit) at B(oot)log. And how convenient, you can also enter to win his new album, The Wedding Dance of the Widow Bride over at local blog i(heart)music this week.

As intriguing as Geoff Berner was to dial613 back in August, the same sort of curiousity is piqued by the United Steel Workers of Montreal and their "citygrass" music. While the former claims to punk up klezmer, the latter proports to punk up country. dial613 has yet to figure out the new New Music Canada layout, but you should be able to hear some stuff by clicking here, and then the song titles after that. If not: website, myspace.

Also this week, there is a show at The Live Lounge, which is run by the evil mass media empire of radio conglomeracy, live 88.5. If anybody goes, e-mail dial613 to let us know how great/good/awful/smutty the venue is, and the extent to which it robs your soul and replaces the remaining empty shell of your body with vast amounts of commercialism.

What are you looking forward to this week?
Any shows that dial613 isn't aware of?

02.21.07
Travel By Owl* with The Harlots, at Zaphod's
-->Travel By Owl - I Am Listening So Close (myspace)

02.22.07
The Beautiful Unkown, at The Live Lounge
Jupiter Ray Project*, at The Black Sheep Inn

02.23.07
Geoff Berner with Bob Wiseman and Male Nurse*, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->Geoff Berner - Song Written In A Romanian Hospital (website, myspace)
Valery Gore with Sarah Hallman*, at Zaphod's
-->Sarah Hallman - Shovel (myspace)
Crush Luther with Mugshot and Arm Your Desires, at Babylon
Marc Victor, at Avant-Garde Bar
Souljazz Orchestra* with Jokko*, at Maverick's

02.24.07
Blake, at Avant-Garde Bar
The Phantom Shifters* with The Solid Senders* and Garaga*, at Irene's Pub
The Postage Stamps with Design Of Cities*, at Zaphod's
United Steel Workers Of Montreal with Trevor Alguire, at The Black Sheep Inn
White Cowbell Oklahoma*, at Barrymore's

02.25.07
StopDieResuscitate with Jokers Of The Scene*, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

Flecton sets the mood like no other at The Manx on Wednesday.

Ok, so dial613 is going to go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room right away: this Wednesday is a pretty special day.

And, if you do by chance choose to celebrate, your options are certainly open.
The most typically romantic idea would be to head over to The Black Sheep Inn in the wonderful setting of Wakefield, where you can get lost in the atmospheric songwriting of Josh Ritter and the lovely voice of Jill Barber.
For the more adventurous, and those who'd like to be especially close to a certain someone (and just as close most others in attendance), feel the love with local charmer Flecton and the debut(?) of Lover's Lane, featuring the duo of Mike Dubue (Hilotrons, Double Pumpers, ..) and Jim Bryson.

Speaking of Hilotrons, they'll play their first show of 2007 on Saturday. What took so long, dial613 don't know; but My Dad vs. Yours also plays this week, and so it appears as though the race to be 2007's most frequently-performing non-residency band in the city is clearly on. Anybody wanna put down some early money?

Also of note, one-time Manx regular Danny Michel comes back home to play a two-night stand in Wakefield, and the newly-recordreleased Crowded Skies (myspace) open at Zaphod's on Saturday. If country rock is your thing, then this show should be your thang. Because that's what country rock-type people say, right?

What shows are you planning to head out to this week?
Any anti-Feb.14 parties dial613 should be aware of (y'know, the ones typically held by those sad, bitter people)?

M 02.12.07
Clepto* with Contrabandit* and Stoic Kid*, at Zaphod's
Guy Major*, at The Rainbow

Tu 02.13.07
Josh Ritter with Jill Barber, at The Black Sheep Inn
Secret Star* with Look Toward The Sky and The Scenery, at Avant-Garde Bar

W 02.14.07
Busboyeez* (CD Release) with Ladymilk* and The Rumbelinas, at Zaphod's
Flecton* w/ Lover's Lane*, at The Manx
-->Flecton - Truce Is Stranger Than Fiction
For The Mathematics* with F!ghtF!ghtF!ght*, Elephantoms*, and Sleeping Pilot*, at Babylon
-->For The Mathematics - This Transient
Josh Ritter with Jill Barber, at The Black Sheep Inn

Th 02.15.07
The City Above with Once Past Silver and Auto Racing*, at Zaphod's
Danny Michel, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->Danny Michel - The Invisible Man

F 02.16.07
Danny Michel, at The Black Sheep Inn
Kiss Me Deadly with Crystal Clyffs and My Dad vs. Yours*, at Zaphod's

Sa 02.17.07
Trevor Dunn & Shelley Burgon with Adam Saikaley* and Parade, at Club SAW
Hilotrons* with The American Devices and Mackenzie MacBride*, at Barrymore's
-->Hilotrons - Born A Dancer
North Of Summer with The Jason Kent Band, at Avant-Garde Bar
Eric Vieweg & The Silver Lining* with Crowded Skies*, at Zaphod's

Su 02.18.07
"Music & Art 5" featuring The Rude Dudes*, Hellbros*, Goddam Goddams*, and Sadie Hell*, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

Think About Life, thinkin' about life.

This will be it for now; more important things to attend to this week.

And remember, the Winterlude shows are free and outdoors, for those willing to brave the cold for the Arts & Crafts party on Saturday and the Francophone showcase on Sunday.
If you'd rather be inside on Saturday, consider some neat free-jazz from the Vandermark 5 at Zaphod's.

W 02.07.07
Econoline Crush with Autobahn @MVK
Ndidi Onukwulu*, at The Glebe Community Centre
Six Weeks with Tweak* and Headbounce*, at Zaphod's
Slayer with Unearth, at Scotiabank Place

F 02.09.07
The Empiricals* with Ukrainia!*, at Babylon
Jason Collett with Amy Millan, Apostle Of Hustle, and Young Galaxy, at Winterlude
Mile Over Mecca*, at Avant-Garde Bar

Sa 02.10.07
The Golden Dogs with Lure*, at Maverick's
The Murder Plans*, at Avant-Garde Bar
Ohbijou with Jetplanes Of Abaraham* and Habitat, at The Black Sheep Inn
Les Trois Accords, at Winterlude
-->Les Trois Accords - Grand Champion (stream) (website)
Vandermark 5, at Zaphod's

Su 02.11.07
Po Girl (4pm), at The Black Sheep Inn
Think About Life with Quebexico and Fucked Corpse*, at 59 Argyle
The Winks with Glenn Nuotio* and Famous Lovers, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

Will be up later in the week.

Meantime, congratulations to reader K.B. for grabbing the 2 tickets to see Grizzly Bear tonight.

If you were counting on the free tickets for a night out, remember that it's free cover tonight at Zaphod's.
It's like dial613 has another contest for tickets to see locals Jen Militia, and everybody wins. dial613 is generous like that.

Be aware: Entry deadline is February 2.

Would you like 2 free tickets to see Grizzly Bear in Ottawa?

The widely adored Brooklyn band plays Barrymore's on February 5 along with tourmates The Dirty Projectors, as well as local acts As The Poets Affirm and Crush Buildings, in support of one of the internet's favourite albums (reviews courtesy of Stagefright Publicity) of 2006, Yellow House.

And gee willikers, dial613 has a pair of tickets to give away (~$25-30 value), courtesy of the wonderful people at locally-based blog Mocking Music.

To enter: Simply e-mail dial613 (dial613[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with the subject line, I want to get mauled ... by Grizzly Bear. Because that's what bears do sometimes.
For one bonus entry: Use a subject line that is funnier or clevererer than the one above (shouldn't be too hard). dial613 will be the judge. (Hint: it's hard to go wrong with an Aqua reference.)

The contest closes at 11:59 PM on February 2, 2007, and the winner will be contacted through e-mail on February 3. Should the winner not respond in a reasonable amount of time, the tickets will be drawn for again.
Good luck (and hurry)!

note: tickets = guestlist spots; no physical tickets involved!