Free Show for Fanshawe Students on Fri. w/ Immaculate Machine, the Zolas & Chris Rayburn

Via Open House Arts Collective: Vancouver's Immaculate Machine are playing a free, all ages show at the Out Back Shack (Fanshawe College) with the Zolas and Chris Rayburn.

The show is completely free and all ages (with a Fanshawe Student ID). It doesn't get much better than that! (If you're waiting for the band to pay you to show up - you're in for a long wait.)

Immaculate Machine - Only Love You For Your Car

Immaculate Machine Tour Eastern Canada

Victoria's Immaculate Machine are at CMJ in New York this week. They'll be playing a show at Fat Baby with Hot Panda and the Pack AD on Friday (Oct. 23). After that they are touring Eastern Canada

Only Love for Your Car



Go see them at

Tue Oct 27, Fredericton, The Capital
Wed Oct 28, Halifax NS, The Paragon Theatre
Fri Oct 30, Charlottetown PE, Hunters
Sat Oct 31, Sackville NB, George's
Nov 2, Kingston ON, The Living Room at The Mansion
Nov 3 Hamilton ON, The Casbah Lounge
Nov 4 Sudbury ON, The Townehouse
Nov 5 Toronto ON, The Horseshoe
Nov 6 Ottawa ON, Mavericks
Nov 7, Montreal QC, Il Motore w/ Think About Life
Nov 12, London ON, Fanshawe (12noon) - free
Nov 13, London ON, Fanshawe - free

Char2d2 Small Vampires EP and Concert Review

Char2d2, consisting of Charla McCutcheon (Bella) on guitar and Eric Breitenbach (Lefinn, Heatwave) on drums, opened for Victoria band Immaculate Machine Saturday, September 12 at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver. I was truly blown away by their set, as I had gone in with no expectations and very little knowledge beyond name recognition.
For this reviewer, there are a few things you need to check off in order to deem a set truly excellent.
As for them?
- Packed dance floor after only a few songs: check
- Responsive crowd: check
- Band members sincerely enjoying their time playing together: check (big grins all around)
- Presence of other musicians: check (rumors have it that Tegan of Tegan and Sara was around)
- Positive audience bathroom reviews: check

What truly caught me off guard was the ability of this duo to fill up the lounge with more energy and sonic presence than many considerably larger bands I've seen. Charla's guitars did not seem sparse even without the presence of bass, and Eric kept the rhythm driving and pounding throughout their much-too-short set.

Below is the set list of songs that they played, mostly off their Small Vampires EP (except for the starred ones):

Only Man For Me
You Are A Small Vampire
Don't Want To
I Am Safe
B-Day Girl**
Some Will Have To Go
Torn Apart**
Take and Send

Since grabbing a copy of it at the show, I've been listening to Char2d2's debut EP Small Vampires (what is it with vampires anyway?) on repeat. It's a disc full of lovely romantic pop ditties that are guaranteed to stick in your head.

I cursed myself for not putting the album on my iPod as I was humming You Are A Small Vampire the entire commute to school and back. And why not? Charla has an excellent sense of melody, which is combined with a lovely girlish voice, bright melodies and sweet choruses such as,

can I be the one that you wake up at 6am?
and we talk to the clouds till we fall back asleep again

The result is an uplifting album which will make you vow to love your cherished ones just a little bit more. 

The Small Vampires EP, like their set at the Biltmore, is short and sweet, and ends much too quickly. It leaves you smiling but wanting more, like a single forkful of cake. Hurry up with the full length please!

Small Vampires was written and co-produced by Charla McCutcheon, with the other half of that producing team being Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara. 

Char2d2 will be playing at Victoria's Rifflandia Music Festival on Saturday Sept. 26 at the Metro Theatre. Make sure you catch them; you will not regret it!

You can buy Small Vampires at Maple Music or on iTunes.
You can find Charla of Char2d2 on MySpace and Twitter.

The Neighbours Won't Mind If You Listen To Immaculate Machine

Lethbridge’s first great indie-rock show of the semester started the night before classes did this year, with Immaculate Machine coming down to Henotic last Tuesday and the Square Waves as the opening act.

Warming things up with their synth-heavy sound to a growing crowd, the Square Waves greased everyone’s ears nicely. Jeff King fronts this group and he displayed some fierce energy in doing so, his passionate vocalization captivating many in attendance. According to their website, they were originally conceived as a “Kraftwerk garage band” and that is definitely a fitting descriptor, with thumping beats, piercing electronic keys/samplers and just enough of a rock edge to bring it all together for a solidly enjoyable set.

Kicking off their set with “Don’t Build the Bridge” – the same song that opens their new album, High on Jackson Hill – Immaculate Machine immediately wowed with leader Brooke Gallupe’s vocals being complemented by Brooke Wilken’s stunning high harmonies and a stirring guitar freak-out section. They followed with “Only Love You for Your Car” which they recently released an awesome video for that’s very reminiscent of Mad Max, but with bicycles. Bringing out some older material from 2007’s Fables, “Come on Sea Legs” had the three-part harmonies in full effect and is just an amazingly written song, with chord changes that grab you by the throat and jerk you around. They slowly got a few people actually up and dancing with more new material, including “He’s A Biter” and “Neighbours Won’t Mind”, jamming out the latter extensively with Gallupe showing he can solo just as well as he can write and sing. Getting to the end of their set, they were coached back for a two-song encore, closing the night with “So Cynical” from their 2005 album Ones and Zeros. They head off for a European tour in a couple weeks; so until they return you can check them out at www.immaculatemachine.com to get your fill.

New Mother Mother music video for Hayloft

Mother Mother has just released a new video for Hayloft, it seems to only be available off Much Music's website for now. Watch it here.

As soon as I can find an embeddable source I'll add it here.

In case you didn't know, Mother Mother is playing a show at UBC next Saturday September 12th, put on by AMS Events and Dose.ca. They'll be rocking the Pit Pub with fellow Vancouverites Said the Whale and Hannah Georgas. Not only that, it's only $10! There must be a catch, right? Well, sad to say, right, there is one. You have to have a valid UBC student id or be the guest of someone who does. Do 2 year old IDs still count?

No university friends either? Don't worry, Immaculate Machine is playing the Biltmore Cabaret that same night and there's no stipulations aside from being over 19. Hard decisions for those students though!

New Video: Immaculate Machine - Only Love For Your Car (+ Tour Dates)

A new video from Victoria's own Immaculate Machine - the band will also be taking to the road shortly (all of the specific dates haven't been announced) on a tour that will see them trough Canada, Europe, CMJ in New York and then a tour of China ... just think if you were in China you probably couldn't watch the internet video for

Immaculate Machine - Only Love You For Your Car



See them:
Sun Aug 30 - Victoria BC @ Element
Wed Sept 2 - Prince George BC @ Art Space
Thu Sept 3 - Edmonton AB @ The Pawn Shop
Fri Sept 4 - Calgary AB @ Broken City
Sat Sept 5 - Saskatoon SK @ Amigo's
Sun Sept 6 - Winnipeg MB @ Lo Pub
Mon Sept 7 - Regina SK @ O'Hanlon's
Tue Sept 8 - Lethbridge AB @ Henotic
Thu Sept 10 - Kelowna BC @ Habitat
Fri Sept 11 - Chiilliwack BC @ Chilliwack Arts Center
Sat Sept 12 - Vancouver @ The Biltmore Cabaret (early show)

Sept 12-Oct 22 - Europe
Oct 23-24, New York, CMJ
Oct 27-Nov 21 Eastern Canada
Dec 1-14 - China

the Yellow Bird Project: Indie Rock T-shirts for Charity

The Yellow Bird Project sells t-shirts, but not just any t-shirts. They sell unique t-shirts that you won't find at shows. T-shirts designed by prominent indie rockers with the proceeds going to charity.

Just today there is a new shirt from the Dears the shirt was designed by Natalia Yanchak and Murray Lightburn's three year old daughter Neptune. Proceeds from the shirt go to the Pablove Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children fight cancer with love.



While you are lookling at the shirt you can also grab a free MP3 of the acoustic version of 'Whites Only Party'.

Then you can go check out shirts by the Stars, the New Pornographers and Immaculate Machine, K-Os, Broken Social Scene and others.

Joel Plaskett review

" Staring at a western sky

Rolling down the Rockies road

After a 14 hour drive

I only wanna be in Vogue

Thinkin' bout my love back home

Thinkin' bout my country

Think I'll sing a little song "

(Custom lyrics for Vancouver that I snatched after the show)

Any shows that come after this point have a hell of a high bar to reach. Joel Plaskett, Bill Plaskett, Ana Egge and Rose Cousins worked real hard to earn the two standing ovations that they received at the Vogue in Vancouver on May 9th. They played for around 2.5 hours, which included 2 sets, with an encore long enough to be a set of its own... more than the "THREE MORE!" that I yelled, thankfully!

Each musician was distinguished in their own right and each shared the spotlight. I think that was the major thing that made the concert spectacular. Joel was more than happy to share the stage and to provide back up support for both Ana Egge and Rose Cousins' performances of their own songs. There was no ego, just a lot of laughs (some uncontrollably during songs), a lot of sing-alongs and impromptu clapping from the audience, a lot of talent, and a lot of love and mutual admiration.

Some links:

Ana Egge

Rose Cousins

Bill Plaskett (Papa Plaskett sang a beautiful song named Places that he wrote when he first moved from England to Vancouver. Here's hoping Joel releases it on his label.)

Pictures from the show (as well as a couple of Immaculate Machine's CD release the night before)

For a more in-depth review (or maybe just one written sooner after the fact)

In a previous post, I'd mentioned that Joel would announce a "secret code" to enable the download of a free track. It turns out that this is a song off his Three More vinyl, which include 3 outtakes from his latest album Three. The song, which was performed live during his shows, is named Spinning For You and is available on his website. As for the password? It's really not that hard to guess. Hint: it's a number.

New Video: Immaculate Machine - Sound the Alarms

Victoria's Immaculate Machine with the first video from their new album High on Jackson Hill. According to Mint Records Immaculate Machine front man Brooke Gallupe's sister, Caitlin (playing bass on this song) did the paintings used in this video and all of the band's album covers to date.

Immaculate Machine - Sound the Alarms

BC Scene: Videotape, Immaculate Machine and You Say Party! We Say Die!

Went to the second last night of the BC Scene in Ottawa.
It was a nice show.

Playing were:
Videotape
Immaculate Machine
You Say Party! We Say Die!

If you were wondering Videotape and not being from BC.
They were last minute replacement for Japandroids.
Surely put on a great show put on by all three bands.

Videotape:


Immaculate Machine:

Immaculate Machine - Dear Confessor (Live at Babylon) from Ming Wu on Vimeo.

You Say Party! We Say Die!:

Immaculate Machine: New Album and Tour

Victoria B.C.'s Immaculate Machine has long been one of Canada's most underrated bands. Many people, myself included, felt that their third album Fables deserved serious consideration for the Polaris Music Prize but the album, surprisingly, didn't even make the long list. Hopefully with High on Jackson Hill (scheduled to drop on April 28) the band will start to get some long overdue attention.

The 2009 lineup for Immaculate Machine has changed a bit with Aden Collinge replacing Luke Kozlowski on drums and Caitlin Gallupe (Brooke's sister) joining on bass, a second guitarist, Jordan Minkoff and sometimes Leslie Rewega on keys, backing vocals and percussion. This has created a fuller sound than the band achieved as a three piece. Herohill, at any rate, seems to be into it:

"The 70’s swagger of He’s a Biter, straight ahead rock riff of Neighbours Don't Mind and infectious hook and chorus of Thank Me Later really infuse the record with energy and pave the way for more subdued, orchestral efforts like I Know It's Not as Easy or And it Was. Honest emotion pours out of the back porch, Kathryn led You Destroyer, but some how the beautiful acoustic number stand along side the swanky, sultry feel of the single Sound the Alarms.

IM has been playing music for a long time – three albums and a couple of EPs – but this record feels like it might have been the most fun to record (even though it’s the least poppy in my opinion). Instead of being concerned with audience, High on Jackson Hill shows the freedom of recording sessions where no idea was discarded without giving it a try first. The band even escaped the pressures and gloss of the studio by recording the songs in a basement instead, letting the noises of the neighborhood and grit of the sessions shape the sound."

All opinions aside it sounds like this:

Immaculate Machine - Sound the Alarms


You can check out some more at myspace.com/immaculatemachine and you can catch them live at the days and places below:

24 Apr Ford Plant Brantford, Ontario
25 Apr Townehouse Tavern Sudbury, Ontario
26 Apr Arcadia House Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
29 Apr Phog Lounge Windsor, Ontario
30 Apr The Drake Toronto, Ontario
1 May Club Lambi Montreal, Quebec
2 May BC Scene: Babylon Ottawa, Ontario
4 May Piano’s New York, New York
5 May Casbah Hamilton, Ontario
8 May Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
9 May Logan’s Victoria, British Columbia

Oh and just for fun: one of my favorite songs and videos of 2008

Immaculate Machine - Dear Confessor

R3 @ SXSW

Personally I can't get excited about SXSW. I know that it's important for musicians. Finding an audience in the large and lucrative US market can mean the ability to quit their day jobs. Still it is very far away from me and I can't imagine myself willingly going to Texas unless I was being paid to go.

That said, they're still our bands and we still love them. Radio 3 has been all over SXSW; blogging, Tweeting and recording. Over on the Radio 3 blog there are recordings of live performances by Winter Gloves, Ohbijou, Woodhands, and Thunderheist and Boats, the Details, Bedouin Soundclash and Immaculate Machine.

They also have some video going on on their YouTube Channel from Arkells, the Wet Secrets, More or Les, Elliott Brood and Jenn Grant w/ Buck 65.

Coming Up at the Phog in Windsor

Because it was recently voted the best live venue in Canada by Radio 3 listeners and because I found their posting and because no one from Windsor has drunk the Kool Aid .. singed up to rep their city yet. These are the shows coming up in April at the Phog Lounge in Winsor:

2 - WAMM Magazine - One Year Anniversary Party - Music Video Contest Screenings
3 - The New Kings (Toronto) w/ High Mother
4 - Slow Down, Molasses (Saskatoon) w/ Valery Gore (Toronto)
5 - Brasstronaut (Vancouver) w/ TBA
7 - University of Windsor Grad Reading & 2nd Installment of Tech Tuesday (6:30pm)
8 - Azeda Booth (Calgary)
10 - The Perpetrators (Winnipeg) w/ Mr. Chill & TBA
11 - Elecroluminescent (Hamilton) w/ What Seas, What Shores
12 - Book Launch - Experiments at 3 Billion A.M. by Alexander Zelenyj (8pm)
14 - The Pack A.D. (Vancouver) 2nd link w/ Another Saturday Knight
17 - Black Diamond Bay with Patrick Krief of The Dears (Toronto) w/ Helsinki Go & The Mustard Branches
18 - The Mindframes w/ Metro4 (London)
19 - Spooky Reuben (Toronto) w/ The Love Machine (Ottawa) & The Tyres
21 - Brzowski & Shane Blakemore & 3rd Installment of Tech Tuesday (6:30pm)
22 - Beast (Montreal) w/ The Peace Leeches (Chatham) & (WH)Y.M.E(??)
23 - Ron Leary Band w/ Gianna Lauren (Halifax)
24 - Alun Piggins (Toronto) w/ The Heels
25 - Barzin (Toronto) w/ Nick Zubeck (Toronto) & Music Minus You
26 - SAC Songwriters Group
27 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
28 - Shiv and The Shams (8pm)
29 - ???? Immaculate Machine (Vancouver) w/ TBA ????

the Pack A.D. - April 14