Hi-Hat Records and Friends Celebrate New Compilation

Hi-Hat Recordings, the record label of Spooky Ruben, the Schomberg Fair and others is celebrating the release of a new compilation album (Hi-Hat Comp #4) with two nights of music at the Rancho Relaxo.

On Friday September 4 (Facebook Event Page) Hi-Hat will present

Wildlife
Spookey Ruben
Black Hat Brigade
Sandman Viper Command

On Saturday, September 5 (Facebook Event Page) it's going to be:

Cut Throat Britva
the Job
Sitcom
Invasions

Each night is $7 or $10 with the new CD, Doors at 9 - Rancho Relaxo, 300 College Street in Toronto. So, if you're looking for some inexpensive weekend fun, want to see some of the cities up and coming acts and want to do it in a place where they serve killer fried, stuffed jalepenos and sangria downstairs - head on out!

Spooky Ruben vs. Dirty Penny

I have yet to catch one of their live shows but I'm really intrigued by Toronto's Dirty Penny. Now Magazine, in November 2008 described them as "...a Quebecois Hugh Laurie doing a bad Don Knotts impression backed by a Lebanese wedding band who learned to play alt-rock from Watchmen videos." High praise indeed! Their lyrics are quirky on a level that could maybe only be fully appreciated by the Flaming Lips and a musical style that always reminds me of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground. Have a listen, for example, to Bubblejuice:


(You can grab a free copy of this song and some others here.)

Now their friend Spookey Ruben has taken a crack at a Dirty Penny video that seems to capture the essence of the band well - in just under 90 seconds:

Declined

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