The Cape May be really happy to see you at the show.

Quick hits:
It's Calgarian tag-team action at the Black Sheep Inn tonight, featuring city- and label-mates Chad VanGaalen and The Cape May. $10 advance, doors at 9.
-->Chad VanGaalen - Graveyards (sweet and haunting, just a beautiful mixture)
-->The Cape May - Spring Flight To The Land Of Fire (dark and sprawling indie folk)

Also, some band named Propaghandi is playing at the Capital Music Hall tonight. From what I know, they are from India and sound like The Weakerthans. Though you might know them better as EMMEFFINGPROPOGHANDI. Locals The Bella Bombs open, $15 advance, 7:00 PM doors.

Henri Faberge & The Adorables wrestle their way into Zaphod's on Tuesday.
(credit: Andrew Carver, NatCapRock)

This week in Ottawa, the dial613 Factory computer is broken. But what do you care? Well, it means you're going to have to find those k-os mp3s all by yourself. So sorry. Next time, dial613 will be sure to use one that is capable of withstanding the pressure that comes with being a blogging computer. Like maybe one with Grillz or something. Make computers tougher, is that not what they do? They should.
But some mp3's are up, thanks to a great person. Thank you sir.

Anyway, Tuesday's show with Henri Faberge & The Adorables, The Bicycles, and Relief Maps should be really great. Last time M. Faberge was in town, it was an all-out melée on the stage that spilled onto the floor, which, unfortunately, was pretty much empty. There probably won't be so much room to move this time, though, seeing as how both Faberge and The Bicycles have released albums in the last month or so to a whole mess of sugary adoration.

This week's local highlight comes on Saturday at Zaphod's, where blues-rockers The Coggs headline with The Watters Brothers and the cleverly-named Brad Sucks, who has guarded himself against insults/criticism, because they would just seem like a typo when written ("Brad Sucks sucks"?). But more importantly, it would be a lie.. go to his website and grab an entire album, I Don't Know What I'm Doing, for free, and see for yourself.

Oh, and some neat miscellaneous happenings this week in town:
a) The Perpetual Motion Roadshow, an indie press touring circuit featuring slam poetry and some tunes. October 20th at Venus Envy, pay what you can.
b) The OneWorld Film Festival, a showcase of social justice-focused documentaries and speakers, film-makers, and maybe a bit of music too. October 18th and 20th at Library and Archives Canada.

Which show(s) are you most looking forward to this week?

Tues - 10.17.06
Henri Faberge & The Adorables with The Bicycles and Relief Maps*, at Zaphod's
-->Henri Faberge & The Adorables - Ventriloquist Love (myspace)
-->The Bicycles - Gotta Get Out (website, myspace)
Sparta with Sound Team and Viscera's Recital*, at Babylon
k-os, at Capital Music Hall

Thurs - 10.19.06
Chad Van Gaalen with The Cape May, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->The Cape May - Spring Flight To The Land Of Fire (website, myspace)
Matthew Barber & The Union Dues with James McKenty & The Spades, at Zaphod's
Propagandhi with GFK and The Bella Bombs*, at Capital Music Hall

Fri - 10.20.06
The Bridegroom* with The Ether, at Babylon
Eastborough* (cd release) with The Murder Plans and Tamsen & Elliott, at Zaphod's

Sat - 10.21.06
Anagram (cd release) with The Creeping Nobodies, at End Hits
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings (cd release) with Brian Byrne, at Barrymore's
The Coggs* with The Watters Brothers*, Brad Sucks*, at Zaphod's
-->The Coggs - Toothache (website, myspace)
-->Brad Sucks - Making Me Nervous (website, myspace)
The Jimmy Swift Band with Dave Lauzon*, at Babylon

Sun - 10.22.06
AIDS Wolf with Fucked Corpse, City Of 100 Spires*, at Zaphod's
Peter Katz with Andrea Revel, at The Black Sheep Inn (4pm start)

* denotes local act

...will be up Monday night/Tuesday (no shows on Monday).

Meanwhile, Drag The Dot.

"And then the penguin said, 'No, you give me your hand!!' lol"

Local indie-alt outfit For The Mathematics release their shiny new EP We Impend at Barrymore's tonight, which serves as the follow-up to their 2004 debut The New Science, which got major campus radio play and put the band on the map. Though touring for three years and playing 100+ shows probably helped that, too.
You can go preview the first single off the EP, "A Versus", on their myspace; the play count for it is currently at 1337, neato. And you can grab another mp3 from the new release in the post two below this one.
-->For The Mathematics - Delay The Fiasco

Fellow Ottawans Embassies Of Denmark and Bangkok open, tickets are $6 advance and $8 at the door.

For something on the lighter side, you can go watch locals Stairwell K play their last show as a band at The Rainbow, with Donkeypunch openning.
Or, if you're up for the drive, you could head down to The Black Sheep Inn to see some "South Asian electronica" courtesy of Toronto's LAL, who share the bill with another Toronto band, genre-benders Stop Die Resuscitate.

Just a friendly reminder that Jon-Rae & The River, a Torontonian band via Vancouver, play Zaphod's tonight. Their gospel-tinged Canadian folk music features plenty of operatic screaming from a man who, at first glance, looks like he couldn't shout down a mute. It's nicely balanced, though, by some really sweet (as in "Aww, that's so sweet"; not "Dude!!! SWEET!!") balladry full of strumming and Hallelujah's and backup female harmonics.
-->Jon-Rae & The River - Just One More

Opening for JR (that's what his buddies call him) is Woolly Leaves, a.k.a that guy from The Constantines. You know, Whil? No, not that one, the one who plays keyboard. No, I don't remember if he has curly hair or not. It might be brown. Yeah yeah, he spells it Will too. Now you know? Maybe? Whatever, dial613 doesn't have any mp3's, but the new album Quiet Waters sounds pretty good, you can hear a bit of it over at the myspace.

But first on stage is Ottawa's The Soirée, who are quietly making some noise, both literally and figuratively. They've got a new record about to come out, and last dial613 heard, their material was sounding very tight.. both literally and figuratively.
-->The Soirée - Turn This Car Around (I will pull over right this minute and do it, I swear)

Alternatively (pun intended!), you can go on over to Maverick's and get your thrash on at the Ottawa instalment of Exclaim's Aggressive Tendencies Tour, which features Pelican, a Chicago band whose throat fire will surely beckon your thaw. That's probably deeper than I realize. I hope so, anyway.

BONUS:
-->The Cars - Just What I Needed (covered by Jon-Rae & The River, mp3 in last post)

Jon-Rae & The River wash up at Zaphod's on Thursday, hopefully without any of that gross sea foam stuff.

Because of the long weekend, there's no accompanying text here for now. But, with luck, it will come in small nuggets as the week goes.

But it's clear that dial613 is most looking forward to Jon-Rae & The River this week, who are opened for by Woolly Leaves and locals The Soirée, who turned in a great set at Irene's not too long ago.

Oh yeah, and check out the handy-dandy new Google calendar button at the top of the show listings. If you use gmail, it'll really come in handy, as it lets you import the dial613 show listings straight into your own account's calendar. If you don't have a Google account, well.. it's just an all-around good-looking button, so maybe you can just reward it for that.

What show(s) will you be going to see this week?

Monday - 10.09.06
The New Pornographers with Immaculate Machine and Novillero, at Capital Music Hall
-->Immaculate Machine - Death Of A Rockstar (website, myspace)

Tuesday - 10.10.06
East Village Opera Company, at Barrymore's

Wednesday - 10.11.06
CMHA Charity Concert ft. City Of A Hundred Spires*, Danger Danger Mammoth Hunter*, Place*, Smoke Judo*, Glenn Nuotio*, at Babylon
Patrick Watson with Amos The Transparent*, at Zaphod's

Thursday - 10.12.06
Pelican with Daughters and KENmode, at Babylon
Jon-Rae & The River with Woolly Leaves and The Soirée*, at Zaphod's
-->Jon-Rae & The River - Two Hands (website, myspace)
-->Jon-Rae & The River - Just What I Needed (cover of The Cars)
-->The Soirée - Airplane (website, myspace)

Friday - 10.13.06
Camp Best Friends* with Word People, at Babylon
For The Mathematics* (cd release) with Embassies Of Denmark* and Bangkok*, at Barrymore's
-->For The Mathematics - This Transient (website, myspace)
LAL w/ Stop Die Resuscitate, at The Black Sheep Inn
Stairwell K* (final show :( ) with Donkeypunch*, at The Rainbow

Saturday - 10.14.06
The Acorn* with Tusks, at Babylon
Jolie Holland with David Dondero, at Barrymore's
Sloan with Yoko Casiono, at Capital Music Hall
-->Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong (website, myspace)
-->Sloan - The Lines You Amend
Small Sails with Tallships*, at End Hits

Sunday - 10.15.06
Ultimate Power Duo with Everything At Once, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

Starting tonight, 333 musical acts of all sorts descend upon Montreal for the POP Montreal festival, including the likes of Joanna Newsom, Portastatic, and Sunset Rubdown. That's just the tip of the iceberg, too.. there's 330 others, remember?

Of those 333 acts, a mere 4 are from Ottawa. This means Ottawa accounts for 1.2% of POP Montreal's acts, which, intriguingly, is the same percentage by which Quebec's Jobboom Index rose at just about this time in 2002. Coincidence? dial613 thinks not.

So if you're heading east for the festival, go cheer on the home team:

Thurs. October 5
Weapons Of Mass Seduction - 8 PM at Saphir, with The Trigger Effect and Dead Messenger
-->tracks streaming on myspace
The Soft Disaster - 9 PM at Casa del Popolo, with Dog Day, Doris Day, and Kill The Light
-->The Soft Disaster - Nothing Returns (website, myspace)

Sat. October 7
HiLoTrons - 12 AM at Mile End Cultural Centre, with Pop Levi, Dishwasher, and the Patients
-->HiLoTrons - Science Fiction Music (website, myspace)

Sun. October 8
The Acorn - 10 PM at Casa del Popolo, with Schooner and Carolyn Mark
-->The Acorn - Guilt Trip Fashion (website, myspace)

Go ahead and drool at the rest of the schedule. And if there's an act that you'd want to see but can't, then take a glance at the (613)shows listings to the right; many of the shows at the festival have an Ottawa date, too.

Akron/Family play at the First Baptist Church on Friday

This Sunday at Zaphod's, there's yet another indiescene veteran in town(in addition to Yo La Tengo last week), Giant Sand. The 20+ year-old Tucson indie rock band features Howe Gelb, who has an unlikely number of Ottawa connections: his latest solo album, 'Sno Angel Like You, was inspired by a winter-time trip to Ottawa and a Bluesfest set at a church with local singer-songwriter Jim Bryson and gospel choirs. Not only was the album inspired by Ottawa, but it also features locals Jeremy Gara (of The Arcade Fire) and the Voices Of Praise choir. It's all really a very cute story... you can read it in storybook form here.
Opening will be two bands out of Denmark, but most notably Under Byen, who have gotten plenty of press since the tour started. But they'll be hard pressed to gain the title of dial613's favourite Danish musical export.

Lots of great out-of-town Canadian talent stops by too, including Cadence Weapon, Great Aunt Ida, Hylozoists, Julie Doiron, Sloan, and Tokyo Police Club. If you haven't heard any of the above acts before, follow the links below (or google) to their websites and hear more.

Other notables include blogger-slobbered Beirut, enigmatic art-rock(?) quartet Akron/Family, and Ottawa favourites HiLoTrons, who play a curious set at an odd choice of venue, The Black Sheep Inn. Interesting...

What shows have you circled on your calendar this week?

Mon - 10.02.06
Mayor McCa (cd release), with Rhume* (solo), at The Clocktower Brew Pub

Tues - 10.03.06
KRS-One, with Vocode, Dee Jay Framed, D-Mas, at Babylon
ladyfest: Julie Doiron, with TunaHelpers, Kelsey McNulty*, at Club Saw
-->Julie Doiron - Dance All Night (website, myspace)

Thurs - 10.05.06
Beirut, with Animal Hospital, at Zaphod's
-->Beirut - Scenic World (website, myspace)
Great Aunt Ida, at End Hits
HiLoTrons*, with Naim Amor, Marianne Dissard, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->HiLoTrons - Look, Wow (website, myspace)

Fri - 10.06.06
Akron/Family, with Born Ruffians, at First Baptist Catholic Church
-->Akron/Family - Dylan Pt. 2 (website [psst.. it's OttAwa], myspace)
Kingston Fog*, with My Architects, Approaching Zero, Lucky Ron*, at Zaphod's
-->Kingston Fog - Astronaut (website, myspace)

Sat - 10.07.06
Cadence Weapon, with Tokyo Police Club, at Zaphod's
--> (website, myspace)
Hylozoists, with The John Henrys*, All Of Your Friends, My Architects, at Barrymore's
-->Hylozoists - The Fifty-Minute Hour (website, myspace)

Sun - 10.08.06
Giant Sand, with Under Byen, I Got You On Tape (7pm doors), at Zaphod's
-->Under Byen - Legesag (website, myspace)
-->Under Byen - Af Samme Stof Som Stof

* denotes local act

BONUS:
-->Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand) - But I Did Not
-->Aqua - Cartoon Heroes

Yo La Tengo may claim to not be afraid of you and capable of beating your ass, but without that surfboard, it's probably not true.

This week's obvious highlight is Yo La Tengo, who stop by Babylon on Sunday night to promote their recently released (not to mention awesomely-named) album I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. And if that show isn't your obvious highlight, then you're completely uncool and know nothing about music. Or that's what I hear, anyway.

Also this week, Ladyfest Ottawa celebrates its 5th anniversary with a slate of dandy shows featuring ladies both local and abroad, pun so completely intended. The roster looks pretty great, featuring The Barmitzvah Brothers, Hexes & Ohs, and Les Allumettes, among others. And not only will there be music, but also films and their trademark Not Your Grandma's Craft Sale, which will run for a glorious 2 days this weekend. Take a look at their website for all the details.
Fun fact: The five-year run makes it North America's longest consecutively-running Ladyfest.

Other notables this week include a really really great-looking all-local bill at Zaphod's on Friday, headlined by Jetplanes Of Abraham, as well as a show at that new club Heaven with Israeli techno duo Infected Mushroom. Yes, Israeli techno; and yes, that will likely (but hopefully not?) be the first and last time dial613 writes either of those words.

What shows will you be looking forward to this week?

Mon - 09.25.06
Sarah Hallman* with Gianna Lauren, at The Manx Pub
-->Sarah Hallman - Shovel (website)

Tues - 09.26.06
Magneta Lane, at University of Ottawa

Wed - 09.27.06
Islands with Malajube, Unireverse, at Capital Music Hall
-->Islands - Rough Gem (website, myspace)
-->Malajube - Le Métronome (website, myspace)
Ladyfest, ft. Lesbians On Ecstasy with Nicky Click, Librarian's Touch, MacKenzie MacBride*, at Maverick's

Fri - 09.29.06
Big Jeezus Truck with Lefty McRight & The Boxcar Cadavers, at Barrymore's
Ladyfest, ft. Hexes And Ohs with Sarah Hallman*, Catriona Sturton & The Screaming Elks, and more at Club Saw
Jetplanes Of Abraham* with Soft Disaster*, Relief Maps*, at Zaphod's
Pocket Dwellers, at Maverick's
-->Pocket Dwellers - B-Boys (website, myspace)

Sat - 09.30.06
Ladyfest, ft. Les Allumettes* with Ennuie*, Bleeding Heart*, at End Hits (5PM)
-->Ennuie - Under Wraps (myspace)
Ladyfest, ft. The Barmitzvah Brothers with Kickers, Bad Flirt, Spacecan, Captain Foxy* at Club Saw (8:30PM)
Craig Cardiff with Natalia Zukerman*, at The Black Sheep Inn
The Fully Down* with For The Mathematics*, The Second Glance*, Bill Furious*, at Babylon
King Sunshine, at Maverick's
Memphis with The Thurston Revival, at Zaphod's

Sun - 10.01.06
Infected Mushroom, at Heaven
-->Infected Mushroom - Stretched (website)
Natalie MacMaster, at The Black Sheep Inn (2 sets: 4PM, 830PM)
Yo La Tengo with Why?, at Babylon
-->Yo La Tengo - Mr. Tough (website, myspace)
-->Yo La Tengo - Stay Away From Heaven

* denotes local act

Ninja High School will teach you a lesson... in fun!!lol

If you're still deciding on your plans Saturday night, maybe you want to consider Ninja High School, who play at Café Dekcuf along with Vitaminsforyou and locals Turning Into Salt.
The Toronto hip-hop group have seemingly nothing serious to say, which is absolutely not a problem at all. They turn it into an asset, but more importantly, an excuse to use an animated skeleton gif.
-->Ninja High School - It's Alright To Fight
-->more available on website, myspace, new music canada

Hip-hop not your style? Get something similar, but way at the other end of the genre spectrum with Hamilton's B.A. Johnston at Avant-Garde Bar. In his own words, he plays "short catchy songs that will make you want to lie in bed reading comics." Probably dirty ones. Maybe check out his website and myspace and new music canada site.
-->B.A. Johnston - Squirrels
-->B.A. Johnston - Pita Pit Girls

Music not your style? Then I'm not too sure why you're here. But anyway, there's always the Ottawa International Animation Festival too, which is North America's largest animation event. How cool is that? And Saturday night at 7 PM, Barrymore's will be screening Cultoons! Strange, Rare and Lost Cartoons!, which sounds neato. And you, my friend, are one lucky guy/gal, because since it's an early start, you'll have plenty of time to get over to either of the above shows afterward. The festival continues til Sunday, check their website for details.

Decisions not your style? You're in tough, because Billy Bragg, The Wailin' Jennys, Kinnie Star, and locals Casey Comeau, The Solid Senders, and The Reverb Syndicate are also on Saturday night bills. So have fun.

On Wednesday, head out (out out out) to see Edmonton's Shout Out Out Out Out

First off, let's send some dial613love to The Hidden Cameras for their show last week at Barrymore's, one of dial613's favourites to come through Ottawa recently. The love is easy to send, as it can be stamped and sent on one of those free postcards they gave out at the merch table, how convenient.

On to this week, the word of the week is 'fun.' You can go check out Ninja High School, a 'hip-hop' ensemble from Toronto who don't take anything too seriously, including themselves. You can also get the same sort of vibe, but in a folk vein, from Hamilton's BA Johnston, whose lyrical content features overaggressive barbs towards emo kids and squirrels. It's silliness, but an endearing kind of silliness. Like Eugene.

dial613's mp3 pick of the week is Atmosphere's Say Hey There, a piano-backed track about what seems to be one of the most dysfunctional relationships to be described in song, which (kind of ironically?) all flows together smoothly.
But, dear prsconcerts, why are tickets for the show $25? The same bill in Fredericton is $8, and even just $15 in Quebec. I hope there's a decent turnout, not just for your sake, but for Ottawa's altogether; it'll be a pretty poor reflection of the city's music scene if at least 50 people don't want to spend that kind of money on a Monday night to see 3 MC's who, though pretty well established elsewhere, aren't so well known in these parts (or so dial613 assumes...). And sadly, that whole scenario wouldn't be surprising.

But what do you think?

Oh, and what shows are you looking forward to this week?

Mon - 09.18.06
Atmosphere with Mac Lethal, Psalm One, at Capital Music Hall
-->Atmosphere - Say Hey There (website, myspace)
Flecton Big Sky* with Bob Dude*, Bloomistry*, at The Manx
-->Flecton Big Sky - Truce Is Stranger Than Fiction (website, myspace)
Rebekah Higgs with Jon McKiel, at Zaphod's

Wed - 09.20.06
The Junction with The Love Machine*, Bangkok*, at Café Dekcuf
-->The Love Machine - We Are Squirrels And This Is Nuts (website, myspace)
Shout Out Out Out Out with VitaminsForYou, at Zaphod's

Fri - 09.22.06
Angela Desveaux with Sarah Hallman*, Stephen St-Pierre*, at Zaphod's
-->Sarah Hallman - Shovel (website)
Danko Jones with Rocketface, Iconoclast*, at Barrymore's
King Sunshine (cd release), at Black Sheep Inn

Sat - 09.23.06
BA Johnston with Vincat, Hotkid, at Avant-Garde Bar
-->BA Johnston - Pay Me In Stolen Treasure (website, myspace)
Billy Bragg, at Capital Music Hall
Casey Comeau & The Centretown Wilderness Club* (ep release) with The McGillicuddy Sisters, at Irene's Pub
Kinnie Starr with Tanya Tagaq, at Black Sheep Inn
Nashville Pussy with Priestess, The Rye Coalition, at Babylon
Ninja High School with VitaminsForYou, Turning Into Salt*, at Café Dekcuf
-->Ninja High School - Shake It Off (cbcradio3 session) (website, myspace)
-->Turning Into Salt - Angels Cut The Angles (myspace)
The Reverb Syndicate* with The Solid Senders*, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act

Participate in an exciting reversal of roles by going to watch The Hidden Cameras, who play Barrymore's on Wednesday

[text and mp3's to be added shortly]WOW LOOK! (or look, wow)

Hope your wallet is full, because there are a lot of brand new albums being thrown at you that, for the most part, probably deserve to be purchased, including one each from local bands Ukrainia, The John Henrys, Forty Cent Fix and the Souljazz Orchestra.

There's no shortage of visiting acts to choose between over the course of the week, but dial613's biggest decisions come on Wednesday and Friday:
On Wednesday, will it be jangly, festive pop from The Hidden Cameras or mind-blowing, feverish rock-and-roll from The Golden Dogs?
And come Friday, should the plan be for pant-kicking alt-country with Corb Lund and Elliott Brood, or for a mischievous and eerily-synthy dance party with Controller.Controller and You Say Party! We Say Die!? Or the Ukrainia cd release, where the London Barivnok Dance Ensemble will be showing off their traditional Ukrainian folk dancing skills?

And all the while, there is a healthy serving of local-"world" talent spread all throughout the week, with Ukrainian pop (and stage banter!) from Ukrainia, Asian surf music provided by The Empiricals, and kinda-traditional klezmer courtesy of Socalled.

Are you sweating over what choices to make? You really can't go wrong, so suck it up and be decisive, you wuss.
And put on some anti-persperant or something, because that shouldn't happen so easily.

So, what's going to be the toughest decision for you?
Are you a wuss?
Is there a synonym for "wuss" that would have been cooler to use?

09.11.06
Brad Sucks* with Jacquie In The Kitchen*, De'mos, Dave Norris, at Zaphod's

09.12.06
Camp Best Friends*, at Pier 21

09.13.06
The Golden Dogs^ with The Golden Seals at Maverick's
-->The Golden Dogs - RUNOUTTALUCK (website, myspace)
The Hidden Cameras^ with Spiral Beach, Laura Barrett, at Barrymore's
-->The Hidden Cameras - AWOO (website, myspace)
-->The Hidden Cameras - Learning The Lie

09.14.06
Souljazz Orchestra*^ with Jokko*, at Babylon

09.15.06
Corb Lund with Elliott Brood, at Capital Music Hall
-->The Corb Lund Band - Five Dollar Bill (website, myspace)
-->Elliott Brood - Twill (website, myspace)
Controller.Controller with You Say Party! We Say Die!, The D'Urbervilles, at Zaphod's
-->Controller.Controller - Disco Blackout (website, myspace)
-->You Say Party! We Say Die! - We Like Accidents (website, myspace)
Forty Cent Fix*^ with This Is Rocket Science*, For The Mathematics*, Bill Furious*, at Maverick's
Kelly & The Kelly Girls with Glenn Nuotio*, Eastborough*, at Cafe Dekcuf
Melissa Laveaux* with Ronley Teper, at Cafe Nostalgica
The Who with Peeping Tom, at Scotiabank Place
Ukrainia*^ with The Empiricals*, London Barvinok Dance Ensemble, at Barrymore's
-->The Empiricals - Golden Beat (website)

09.16.06
Good2Go* with The Bush Pilots*, Evil Farm Children*, at Zaphod's
Hilotrons* with Socalled*, F!ghtF!ghtF!ght*, at Barrymore's
The John Henrys*^ with Casey Comeau*, Slo Tom*, Bryan Curry*, and more, at Babylon
Rock Plaza Central^ with As The Poets Affirm*, Orillia Opry, at Irene's Pub

09.17.06
Asobi Seksu, at Babylon
Australian Export Tour Showcase 2006 ft. 72 Blues, 84, Fire Underground, and more, at Zaphod's

* denotes local act
^ denotes cd release party
fun fact: Ukrainia now holds the official dial613 record for most mentions in a single post, with 4. ok, that's 5.

HiLoTrons: "Number 2? Says who!?"

You may definitely want to go have a look at Ottawa-based music website/blog i(heart)music, which compiled a tidy list of the 20 Hottest Bands In Ottawa as determined by a poll which collected the top ten lists of a number of people who are pretty good looking, not to mention knowledgeable when it comes to Ottawa music. Those polled included dial613, who was the token exception to at least one of the two above rules.

So, what do you think of the results?
The list's operative word appears to be "hot", as a surprisingly healthy portion of the list is populated by very active bands who are, relatively, still in the process of making a name for themselves.
Not that it's a bad thing to have a couple handfuls of up-and-comers (and deserving ones, at that) among the 20 hottest acts in the city, but there are some unfortunate casualties as a result.

One of these is Jim Bryson, who may not be all that new, or all that hip (though that red mesh hat is darling), but his songwriting is nearly unrivalled in the city. Others to fall by the wayside were the likes of Danny Michel and the Fiftymen, not to mention some of the less active (or completely inactive) acts, like Greenfield Main, Rhume, and The Luck. But to chastise the list would be hypocritical, as dial613 didn't include any of these names on its own list. For shame, dial613. For shame.

The 'freshness' of the top twenty is far from a bad thing, though: it goes to show that the Ottawa scene is growing in quantity and quality, with a whole new crop of bands capably giving the long-time big boys and girls a good run.
And it also helped dial613 discover a new favourite, Crush Buildings. This track has been playing non-stop at dial613 Factory since finding the band at the number 7 spot.
-->Crush Buildings - Ghoul Pounds (website, myspace)

Your turn:
Who should have been on the list?
Who shouldn't have been on the list?
Which bands should be moved up/shuffled down?

The French Kicks shouldn't leave you feeling blue after their show Sunday at Babylon

Music in the city has taken an extended long weekend, but everything picks right up again come Wednesday.

dial613's local pick o' the week is Wednesday night at Maverick's, where you can catch an all-local bill that includes plenty of experimentation: The Bridegroom work with indie-altrock, and..(oops) Liar's Rosebush plays around with deep electronic beats.
Also, Danny Michel will play two sets at The Black Sheep Inn, despite all of dial613's warnings to readers in the past couple months that each show he played would be the last chance to see him in a while. In any case, there will be a bus leaving from The Manx Pub to escort you to Wakefield. But I'm not so sure of the details, so you probably want to call first.

There are also some pretty neat visitors this week. The French Kicks make up for the late-August date they cancelled to go on tour with Phoenix, and play with Texan internet favourites SOUND Team. And of course there's also Belle Orchestre, who everybody wants to call local, but come on (wo)man, they're from Montreal, ok? Thinking they're from Ottawa is like believing that The Undertaker really was from Death Valley, California: not quite true, but it can be fun to pretend.

So, what shows are you looking forward to this week?

09.06.06
Adam Saikaley* with The Bridegroom*, Liar's Rosebush*, and Alex Maltby, at Maverick's
-->Liar's Rosebush - Delta Delta Delta (website, myspace)
Danny Michel* with Justin Nozuka and Jeremy Fisher, at The Black Sheep Inn
Design Of Cities* with The Red Arrows*, at Zaphod's

09.07.06
Danny Michel* with Eric Vieweg*, at The Black Sheep Inn
-->Danny Michel - It's Not The End Of The World (website, myspace)
The Watters Brothers* with Eppiphane*, Revival Dear, and Trevor Strange*, at Zaphod's

09.08.06
Belle Orchestre with Torngat, at The First Baptist Church
The Handsome Furs with Germans and Ennuie*, at Club SAW
The Longtimers* with The Mighty Eagle Band* and The Sweet Janes*, at Barrymore's

09.09.06
Dan Bern & The IJBC with Ember Swift*, at Barrymore's
-->Dan Bern - Jerusalem (live from this year's Bluesfest) (website)

09.10.06
The French Kicks with SOUND Team, at Babylon
-->The French Kicks - One More Time (website, myspace)
-->The French Kicks - Also Ran
-->SOUND Team - Your Eyes Are Liars (website, myspace)

* denotes local act

If you don't have plans already for tonight (come on, don't pretend like you do), that's alright, because Montreal's The Field Register, along with locals Poorfolk and The Soiree, would be happy to have you over at Irene's Pub.

The Field Register play some ethereal, lullabyish indie rock that you can go sample at their myspace.
Poorfolk also play rock of the indie variety, but with more of a folky(?) feel to it, while The Soiree have a light pop sound that sounds just right for this time of year (you can/should get a feel for it on their myspace.)

But dial613 is not going to make you work for Poorfolk tracks, nosiree.
Poorfolk - Worser Than Better
Poorfolk - Topple The Pride

Saturday, Irene's Pub, 9 PM, $6.

Alternatives:
-Andy Rourke, one-time member of The Smiths, has a DJ set at Barrymore's
-Kayo Dot plays End Hits, with locals Bangkok taking care of opening duties

Poorfolk on:

the internet
new music canada
myspace