Ticket / CD Giveaway: Germans, Racoon Wedding, Schomberg Fair, Black Hat Brigade @ The Garrison, Toronto, 28 Nov.

Let me get right to the heart of the matter: this is your chance to get your hands on 4 CDs and 2 tickets to one heck of a local music showcase, all for the price of $0. Interested? Read on.

On Saturday, 28 November, Toronto's the Garrison plays host to four local(ish) bands. Two Narratives favourites, Black Hat Brigade and the Schomberg Fair, kick things off, followed by Brantford's the Racoon Wedding---who will be celebrating their CD release, and ending up with Germans. The whole thing will cost you $7 at the door (or nothing, if you win tickets from me). Black Hat Brigade haven't played in a little bit, and I'm itching to see them perform in this venue. Should make for a good combination. The Schomberg Fair have been touring all month, letting people all over Canada know about their awesome "speed gospel" sound, and getting the word out about their great new disc, Gospel. (Exclaim was recently suitably impressed.) I've never seen the Racoon Wedding, and Germans---well, I'll be glad to see them perform in a proper venue where they won't have massive technical troubles.

Here's a taste of what you'll be in for.

Download: Black Hat Brigade, "Zombie City Shake" (Fathers, 2009).
Download: The Schomberg Fair, "Trouble Will Soon Be Over" (Gospel, 2009).
Download: The Racoon Wedding, "Basement or the Attic" (Gather Gather Bones Rattle Rattle Truth, 2009).
Download: Germans, "I Am the Teacher" (Cape Fear, 2006).

Courtesy Zygiella, Two Way Monologues, and the bands, I've got a pair of tickets to the show to give away to one of you. In addition, this is a mega prizepack, and includes a copy of the new Schomberg Fair full-length, the Racoon Wedding disc, and two Black Hat Brigade EPs. For a chance to win, send me an email (historyjenATgmailDOTcom) by 11:59pm on Thursday, 26 November. Please put "MEGA prizepack" in the subject line, and your full name in the body. 19+ only, of course.

Fine Print: Germans, The Racoon Wedding (CD release), The Schomberg Fair, and Black Hat Brigade @ The Garrison, Saturday, 28 November, 9pm, $7.

P.S. Germans' "I Am the Teacher" video is v. cute.

Zygiella Podcast 53 (17-23 Sep 2009).

Tyler and I gathered at Lauren Schreiber's place for a conversation with her and Jessica Tollefsen from Green Go. Lauren's celebrating 100 No Shame shows this Friday at Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. (Details about that are here.) Featuring Deerhoof ("Spirit Ditties of No Tone"), Pick A Piper ("Yellowknife"), Ruby Coast ("Town to Province"), Green Go ("Watch Your Step"), Windom Earle ("Get On Into It"), and Hooded Fang ("Fall Leaves").

Listen at Zygiella
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And, because we couldn't fit it in the podcast, here's a special live track by The Skeletones Four, the band opening up Lauren's show on Friday:

Download: The Skeletones Four, "The Fish Rots from the Head" (live, Orangeville, 17 May 2009).

P.S. I love No Shame.

the Zygiella Podcast and Synth Fest 09

On this week's Zygiella Tyler and Jen catch you up on what's coming up in Toronto this week, spin some tunes (I'm totally convinced MP3s spin and no one is going to change my mind) and talk to Andrew Pulsifer about Synth Fest 09. Andrew gives the who, what, where, when and why of Synth Fest and explains to Jen what a synth is - making her both famous and informed.



Download it Here

Zygiella #47: Jen and Tyler Discover New Stuff

Jen gives up her glasses, Tyler worries about how you express that you think something is cool and both of them promise to talk about cable television later. They'll also tell you about what shows you should see in Toronto this weekend and play you some good music!

Listen to it here



or download it there

More Zygiella: Wade Tyler and Jen talk about Wayne Petti

Wade Tyler and Jen take another whack at goings on in the Toronto Music Scene in the recent past and the recent future, discuss Jen's Wayne Petti issues and play some music by Key Witness, Wayne Petti, DD/MM/YYY, At Odds With Even, Chang-A-Lang and Dog is blue:



Download it Here

You can also download Part II of Jen's adventures in talking to people at NXNE

I got home really late on Wednesday night, but I was keen to get an early afternoon start on the official first day of the festival. I started at the Hyatt Regency, where I picked up my press pass and chatted with Fezz Stenton from Green Go. Then I sat in on the round table discussion featuring a dozen members of the (mainstream) Canadian music industry. I took a breather after that bizarre session to debrief with Leif Vollebekk, Scott Bouwmeester, and Stefan Banjevic. After seeing Dinosaur Bones perform a spirited set at Sunrise Records, I interviewed a couple members of that band, Joe Strutt from Mechanical Forest Sound, and NOW Magazine's Jordan Bimm. Spiral Beach was by then entertaining a good crowd at Yonge-Dundas Square, where I talked to Elvis Mondays' William New and Bo and Brandon from La Casa Muerte. Featuring songs by Green Go ("Brains For Breakfast"), Leif Vollebekk ("Northernmost Eva Maria"), Kids on TV ("Breakdance Hunx"), Parallels ("Reservoir"), Dinosaur Bones ("Life In Trees"), The Swallows ("Glorious"), and La Casa Muerte ("Cut It Out").

Download it Here

And, as always, there are Jen's listings of the shows you should check out in Toronto this week.

Zygiella #43 w/ Jen and Tyler

Jen (who's really famous and just knows these things) and Tyler (who is really impressed) talk to La Casa Muerte and take an audio tour of their recording/performance/party space/office of their record label/home and play some music from La Casa Muerte ("All the Wrong Moves"), Hollerado ("Juliette"), Proof of Ghosts ("I'm Coming Home"), Heartbeat Hotel ("TVPO"), 1977 ("The Otherside"), and then two live performances by La Casa Muerte ("Free Range" and "We Fall to Pieces") on Episode #43 of the Zygiella Podcast - you should listen to it.



(You can also just download it.)

Happy Birthday Zygiella (#42)

Episode #42 marks the one year anniversary of the Zygiella podcast. On this one Jen and Tyler talk about the Over the Top Festival, the Pitter Patter Festival and upcoming shows in the perpetual music festival that is Toronto.



Download it Here

Pick A Piper, Hut and the Fishwives : Tonight @ Rancho

As a part of the Pitter Pater Festival tonight Zygiella is hosting a show at the Rancho Relaxo (300 College Street in Toronto) featuring three bands you might not have heard much about yet, but you will soon.

First up are the Fishwives who I told you you should know earlier this week and who were one of the bands in this week's podcast.

Following them is Hut - another side project of Hooded Fang who have been described as "A swirling stew of droning eclectic pop, hovering in a starkly-sweet visceral power. Hut continues the crusade of the synthesis of old and new."

Then, at midnight, it's Pick a Piper - a name I hadn't heard just a few weeks ago. Since then though I've heard enough about them from enough people to say that they fall squarely within the boundaries of buzz band.

"Like a micro-chipped poncho, Pick A Piper play tribal psychedelic rock with a deliciously biting electronic component and a serious dose of percussion. Ecstatically charged yet almost trance-inducing, PAP are a vodka-redbull with none of the edge, all of the euphoria and zero unpleasant aftertaste. The quartet keep the pulse racing with their 2 drummer set up (they play a Siamese kit, or 2 kits connected by a cymbal), but it’s the understated vocals and melodic flourishes draw you away from the frenetic and towards the sublime. The bells and glockenschpiel featured in their song ‘Rooms’ shimmer and shine over acoustic guitar, barely audible group vocals and hand drums, and make this track a slowly ascendant joy-ride. The arrangement of flute, trumpet, layered vocals and never-ending percussion see their self-titled EP diverse enough to forgive the hippy-dippyness; it’s just SO GOOD that it gets rescued from the cheese pile and move directly to kick ass.

My pick for EP of the summer.
-Lauren Schreiber, No Shame

Doors are at 9 and the Facebook Event Page is here.

Zygiella #41 and the Pitter Patter Festival

Everyone should definitely listen to Episode 41 of the Zygiella podcast as Jen and Tyler talk to Keith Hamilton of the Hamilton Trading Co, the Diableros and most importantly for this week, the driving force behind the Pitter Patter Music Festival which runs May 28-31 all over southern Ontario. They talk about the festival and play some music from bands in this year's festival including Sandman Viper Command, Parlovr, Pick A Piper, Two Year Touqe, Golden Isles, and The Champion Heartache.




Download it here

On Edit: You can check out another interview with Kieth Hamilton by Radio 3's Lauren Burrows here.

Zygiella Podcast #38

The legendary Jen and Tyler along with Toronto's Arietta come from the past to tell you in the present about shows in the future - Shows that are so good that if you miss them, in the future you will lie and tell people you were there. They also play some songs that Arietta says you need to hear.



Download it Here

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:

Zygiella Podcast #36

Jen and Tyler on stuff coming up in Toronto including Beth in Battle Mode, Ghost is Dancing, Black Hat Brigade, Woodhands, how the can go about becoming fraternal twins without actually being related and other really important stuff!


download here

This Week on Zygiella

The famous on the internet Jen Polk along with the almost equally famous Tyler Wade of Zygiella are joined by Dan Wolovick who is kind of a big deal at Two Way Monologues and the Rancho Relaxo to talk about local music, upcoming shows and spin some tunes (do you spin MP3s?)


(download it here)

Zygiella Podcast #35 : The CD Release Episode

I don't know if she's planning to post it or not, but I know that Jen is incredibly busy these days. This 34th edition of the Zygiella Podcast features a bunch of Toronto bands who are doing their CD releases this week.



You can download it here or subscribe in iTunes or subscribe via RSS or do all three, I don't care. It's your life.

Zygiella Podcast #33

History Jen who contributes to this blog and has her own at historyjen.blogspot.com and Tyler Wade who doesn't contribute to this blog but does contribute to Two Way Monologies and runs Zygiella do a weeklyish podcast together which is hosted at the Zygiella site, but you might just want to bookmark the RSS feed.

I'll try to post it here from time to time unless Jen wants to do it herself.