Zygiella #37 With the Great Bloomers

Zygiella podcast #37 is chuck full o' treats. Tyler and (Catch her on the red carpet and maybe you can have her autograph) Jen are joined by the Great Bloomers and play music from Ponytail, John Doe and the Sadies, Green Go, Sports the Band and the Rural Alberta Advantage as well as telling you about upcoming shows in Toronto.

Oh and in case you're reading this Tyler: Having spent my teenage years in Southern California during the 80s - X were gods of the local scene - which also included (amoung many others) - Black Flag (and Henry Rollins), the Minutemen, the Circle Jerks, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers (in their pre-suck days) and the kids who went on to be Jane's Addiction. For more on John Doe in particular start here. = )

Oh and if you don't actually listen to it the Great Bloomers say "Stay in School."

On Edit: Here is Colin Medley's Soundcheck with the Great Bloomers:

Review: Green Go's "Borders"

As a live music fan rather than an avid clubber, I prefer bands to DJs—no disrespect intended. But I do like dancing, and once in a while a really top-notch electro group can get me really moving. Woodhands, of course. But perhaps my second favourite is a young Guelph band called Green Go.

Up to now, to take a bit of the party home with me, I've had to do with their EP, a sampler/teaser given out at shows since the fall, and their more recent remixes of some of my favourite Canadian bands. But now Green Go's got their debut full-length ready. And, as I expected, it's great.

Standout tracks on Borders include "You Know You Want It," "Ghosts of the Future," and "Fool Me Once." Like most of the tracks, "You Know You Want It" is a fast-paced number with interesting, inventive synth lines, inventive percussion, and multiple vocal parts. "Fool Me Once" is the high point of the album for me. It starts out slow then gets fast, moving back and forth a couple times, highlighting the importance of the vocals and lyrics on the album. Impressive synth, bass, and guitar lines play off each other, backed up by drums. I would think it impossible not to dance to this one. There's also more standard electro pop like the uber catchy "Brains for Breakfast," and the fun, energetic songs I most associate with this band: "Put Your Specs On Boy" (which features a great, driving jam-out section near the end), "Cash Money Gremlins," and "Watch Your Step."

The slow songs are some of the ones that really got me into this band, but Toronto crowds can be fickle, so the downtempo ones ("Set Me Free," "Danger Bay") aren't always performed. On the album, listeners can really appreciate the intricacies of good dance music: speed and freneticism are cool and all, but Green Go gives you a more varied workout.

Download: "You Know You Want It" (Borders, 2009).
Download: "Fool Me Once" (Borders, 2009).

Cleary, I'm a fan, and I'm thrilled the record so marvelously captures the qualities that impress me about the band's music. The album is now out in select stores and online. Go get a copy.

I've got a giveaway running on my blog for two tickets to their CD release show in Toronto this Thursday, 29 April, as well as a copy of the new disk. If you're in the Toronto area (and are 19+), go here for all the details.