I Want My New CD

After nearly 10 years since their debut album, a cappella band Retrocity has finally released their sophomore album entitled Mixtape. For the occasion, they had an early show on Tuesday at clubby Mod Club in Little Italy instead of their usual haunt at Lula Lounge. It was a good decision as they noted halfway through their 2nd set: "You guys are the best audience we've ever had, maybe we should make you stand more often." Darn right. It's hard to get people really excited with the sit-down dinner-and-a-show feel at Lula.

They also hearkened back to their livelier bar-playing days. The 80s get-up didn't return (though I saw a few over-sized clothes and hair in the audience), but Retrocity did resurrect cheesy TV themes including MTV and Family Ties in their set. For the occasion, they also included some basic but fun choreography which encouraged the lighting guy to play around with the stage lights. The Mod Club's massive sound system also made all the great harmonies and sound effects came out crystal clear.

Retrocity's repertoire is so much more than what they've recorded so for every "classic" tune (Human Nature) and new song (Need You Tonight, Father Figure), there were also live-only numbers. Tonight that included Mr. Roboto, Go For Soda, and a guest appearance by Martha Johnson (of 80s band Martha and the Muffins) on Black Station, White Station. She wasn't the only singer in the audience for the evening. There was a grinning Emilie-Claire Barlowe enjoying the music, and a "flash mob" from City Choir who joined in on The Parachute Club's Rise Up.

King Pigeon

Not sure how middle-of-the-road Aunties and Uncles always have people waiting 20-minute in line for brunch while better local spots, including Windup Bird, get less foot traffic. But it does mean that there was a free table on Sunday after a strenuous yoga class.

Looking over the menu, I finally settled on a baked egg dish ($11). It came out in a hot cast-iron pan overflowing with a tomato-based sauce. So the toasted baguette slices came in handy to soak up that sauce. A slight hint of spiciness from the harissa gave a kick to the chickpeas. But I didn't detect much of the preserved lemon. And the addition of chicken ($4) was a non-event in taste or portion-size. I like the space but they need to turn down the music. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, I don't want old-school hip-hop (as catchy as it was) blaring at full volume.

Watch This Swing

On Saturday, I was at the Fleck Dance Theatre for 3 world premieres from dance company proartedanza. Their recitals often combine contemporary choreography with classical technique and tonight showcased this forte.

The first piece, "(don't) follow the instructions", started with a dancer cleaning dishes. Or rather, her movements were forced on her by another person until she did it herself: an abusive partner, a cold-hearted boss? This theme was carried out throughout the piece as dancers came and went: their interactions and movements sometimes seemed spontaneous, but usually resembled coercion and disciplinary punishment. The company's typical inclusion of props had the performers spinning, sliding, and skating on white bath towels.

The second piece, "Replace/me", also had many mirroring sequences. But its exploration of duplication and mimicry had dancers swapping in and out of each other's routines and entire sequences danced both forward and in "reverse". One section involved a male dancers whose yearning embraces toward another dancer were redirected by her to a stand-in until, perhaps in desperation or maybe in unknowing reinforcement, he accepted the substitute.

Unlike the first two pieces which immersed themselves in ambient soundscapes and industrial music, the last piece used the propulsive music of Beethoven's 9th - 2nd movement to drive the choreography. This was the completion of the company's trilogy based on this work. The row of chairs have returned in a nod to the other two compositions. It was also the most "classically pleasing" of the evening as the music lent itself perfectly to long stretches of physical, unison dancing. There's something about a large group of people executing identical movements (see also band marches and drum-lines) that's inherently thrilling. So in that way, it may also be another reflection on tonight's themes.

Oldies But Goodies

Just recently, there were remembrances and a final show for defunct Rancho Relaxo. But it wasn't a regular haunt for me so I wasn't caught up in the nostalgia. In any case, it seemed to have just rebranded itself as The Old Laurel instead of gentrifying into some other business. So I found myself back there on Friday but for another oldie reason: a public birthday party for singer Maylee Todd.

Compared to us derelicts, Todd is hardly an "old goat". So there were lechon (roasted pig) and pancit, mascot wrestling (people donning Mr. Pringles had an unfair advantage as it was only his giant head instead of a full mascot outfit), and a soul train line as DJs spun vinyls or played on Macs. But the major celebration happened after midnight. When you're a musician and have musician friends, 10 of them from Motown band The Big Sound cram into the tiny nook in the back of the bar to blow away the packed crowd with a free show.

I used to be a regular attendee for their shows until they began exploring lesser known songs. Great for the performers to fight off boredom, not as compelling for us casual listeners. But it was wall-to-wall hits tonight. Todd started the set off with I Want You Back, then the other singers took over with a parade of classics including River Deep Mountain High, Reach Out (I'll Be There), Tears of a Clown, and Respect. The dancing was non-stopped even as people trickled out with the clock approaching 2 a.m. and beyond.

Spice World?

I enjoyed my recent Mexican lunch at Latin World so decided to head back on Friday. I like its unpretentious bodega feel, but unfortunately the down-side is that service is hit or miss depending on your visit. This time around, there were a couple of mis-steps that would get the stink-eye from a typical restaurant: table wasn't cleaned, the spicy salsa was left over from the previous diner, and the complimentary fried nachos wasn't delivered to my table.

The spice level was also uneven between dishes. The tamales ($4) was soft and practically fell apart in your mouth, but its chicken stuffing was bland. The barbacoa tacos (4 for $10) were balanced and tasty but the chorizo version was mouth-puckeringly salty. I am becoming hesitant about its status as a regular dining spot.

Sum of Dumplings

It's a truism that all the best "ethnic" restaurants are in the suburbs because that's where most minorities have settled. On Thursday, that was borne out by a trip north on highway 404 to Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine. First good sign, the place was packed and without a reservation (for lunch!), it was a 10 minute wait.

These newer Chinese restaurants combine the best of both worlds: service remains brisk and efficient, and prices are astonishingly low; the bill came to $18.50 per person for 13 dim sum dishes. But unlike the tired old places, you get smartly uniformed wait staff and nice table settings instead of indifferent servers and plastic covered formica tables. But what about the food? The steamed dumplings whether your classic shrimp (har gow) or pork (siu mai) or new concoctions involving salmon came with soft, delicate shells and plump juicy stuffing. There were interesting dishes such as a baked dumpling filled with curry chicken. Non-dumpling fares included baby octopus and sweet spare ribs. The only bland dish was the fried rice. But as filler to round out the meal, it was an enormous portion. There was no need for it though, because there was enough food to swell all bellies.

Hurdy Wordy

I didn't make it to see any of the acts at the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival on Saturday due to both Riot Fest and an afternoon rain deluge. But with the sky clearing up later on in the evening, I did make it out to Christie Pits park to hear the lyrical gymnastics of The Burning Hell.

They quickly won over the crowd with their clever songs, infused with Eastern European flavour (Realists), retro 60s feel (Wallflowers), sweet (Fuck The Government, I Love You), and lots of They Might Be Giant/Cake drollness. It helped that a group of their local friends had crowded right up to the small stage, lending energy, intimacy, and humour to the set. Too bad these folks came at the last minute and blocked the views of people who had already sat down. If they had arrived earlier to stake their spot, there would have been a few less dirty looks. But I suppose the hipster credo of "live your best life" is sometimes more narcissistic than civic.

Unquiet Riot

Once again, I won tickets to Riot Fest this year. So on Saturday, I headed north to Downsview Park just before noon. Instead of the hipster uniform, most guys and girls today wore primarily black with plenty of metal logos. There were still plenty of beard, though more unkempt than neatly trimmed.

I can't speak to the big names who played later on including Alexisonfire because I only stayed for a few bands. In generally though, I found the music pummelling and repetitive. For the "heavy stuff", I thought last night's Yamatanka show was more compelling. As such, I'll just make general observations.

The giant line-array speakers really do keep the sound concentrated with distance. No matter how far back you sit, the volume was about the same. But it was affected by air movement. Any gusts of wind will drastically mute the sound. These harder bands still often use the soft-loud-soft dynamics of pop but for the "loud" part they just have more growling (Safe To Say). The drummer is the primary driver of this genre. Without his heavy percussion, the vocal harmonies could belong to any boy-band (Bayside). In contrast, most bassists must be bored repeating root notes all the time. Perhaps that's why they tend to resort to playing "bass chords" for variety (Ritual). The lead singers love to do over-the-top poses and vocals (Die Mannequin).

Afterwards, I made my way to the ethnic bazaar for some fruit smoothies and a roti. This was dal puri style, with a double layer stuffed with grounded lentils. The older owner proudly stated that this was genuine roti à la Trinidad. He was right. It was rich and flavourful unlike shops downtown like Pam's Roti. The bone-in chicken was a bit surprising, but didn't detract from the meal.

East Beast

Friday night, I headed over to The Garrison to see Yamantaka Sonic Titan. It wasn't as full as their 2013 show which played to a packed crowd. Since then, the band itself has gone through several personnel changes including the departure of the lead singer/founder. I was curious to see if anything was lost.

They sounded just as powerful as last time. It was strange to see some many POC performers on stage. But that simply showed how lily-white the music scene is in Canada. Covered in white make-up with individual designs in black or red streaks, they ran through a set full of driving numbers thanks to unearthly vocals (which sometimes ascended into high-pitched howling), furious drumming, and chunky guitars. In fact, they only had one extended stage banter where the drummer exhorted the audience to go out and vote in the upcoming election.

Though the numbers came mostly from their first 2 albums, there were also a few new songs. These tend to be more instrumental with only a smattering of wordless vocals. These were still primal yet seemed diminished from before. Yamantaka stood out because they incorporated non-Western rituals, gestures, and ideas into their music and show. It looks like with the loss of some old members (Ruby Kato Attwood, John Acheta), they are turning into an excellent, but "typical" heavy-rock band.

Pai Thai

On Friday, I was down at the King and Spadina area so I stopped off at Pai restaurant for lunch. This Thai spot (part of a growing "empire") was as busy as ever. So much so that I settled for a table outside at the "impromptu" patio. Which is to say, a couple of tables placed outside the entrance. But it was a sunny day so I wasn't complaining.

The musuman curry ($13) was a simple affair: beef and potatoes in a thick curry sauce. With a nod to the Muslim population in the South, it had a slight tang from the tamarind. The beef was tender and moist. And the curry was extremely rich. You really need that bowl of rice to soak up some of that extravagance. It was a good meal, but I wouldn't fight the downtown crowd for it.

Been There, Dundas

I really enjoyed my lunch at Dundas Park Kitchen, so I returned on Thursday for another lunch-time meal. This go-round, I ordered the pot pie special ($13). For the soup, I opted for a curry stew. It was rich and fragrant, almost a meal in itself, with big chunks of carrots. There were also chickpeas and fresh garnishes. The chicken pot pie was delicious: chewy crust, tender chicken morsels. I have a soft-spot for pot-pies because we ate them for special occasion when I was growing up. Of course, this savoury entrée is in another league compared to the $0.79 supermarket version. The chocolate chunk cookie (with a small pretzel embedded on top) was just the soft decadent dessert to finish off the meal. Another excellent outing here. I would suggest to arrive here just a little early to beat the lunch crowd, especially if you want a seat at the handful of spots that are available.

Wheel Goes Round and Round

It has been raining on and off all week-end. But with early Sunday evening looking drier, I ventured out to Christie Pits Park for the tail-end of the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival. Not only are the electronic equipment powered by volunteers on stationary bikes, they also play at various parks throughout the day, commute between venues (via bikes of course), and even has a moving stage where bands can play during the trips.

But not being a granola-eating hippie, I refrained from all that consciousness-raising stuff. I did contribute some money to the cause. In any case, it was near the tail-end when I arrived at Christie Pits. Soul singer Tanika Charles was grooving about good love (Silly, Happy, Wild), bad love (Soul Run), and city living (Parkdale). Apparently, her long-awaited album is nearing completion. I've missed her singing now that I don't go to Big Sound anymore: that lady has got cool vibes to spare.

Before the final act, a pair of hip-hop dancers squared off in a dance battle. I didn't think it was fair to pit a (usually flashy) break-dancer with the subtler pop-and-lock-er. Yet I was still surprised that the break-dancer won. I thought the popper had cleaner moves.

The final band of the festival was Bry Webb and The Providers. There were some feedback issues at the beginning which got resolved before Webb got too irate. I guess if you're a professional musician, it would bug you to play with a problematic sound set-up, even for a low-key community festival. They book-ended their set with two driving numbers: Ex-Punks and Receive Me. In between, it was a folkier set (Asa, Big Smoke, Rivers of Gold) that matched the laid-back park mood and the soft and colourful sunset.

Head Over Heels?

On Friday I was in the Little Italy neighbourhood. So for lunch, I decided to try new Korean resto Masheel Bistro. Despite the odd name (it means fellowship), first appearance was welcoming. Gone was the frumpy décor of unloved Pho Hung and replaced with trendier dark stones and tables. Looking over the menu, it looks like this bistro is offering a mix of traditional and fusion dishes. I opted for some fried beef dumplings ($5) as appetizers and a spicy pork burger ($12) as my main.

The dumplings came out looking like Japanese gyozas. The skin was full of "blisters" which was a good sign that these were fried in really hot oil. Sure enough, each dumpling was crispy and stuffed with ground beef. A nice start to lunch. The main looked even better although the salad was your typical boring kale. The burger was much nicer: slices of marinated pork belly stir-fried with korean chili paste (Gochujang) meant that the "patty" was spicy and flavourful. The stand-out were the fries, a dish that restaurants usually fail at when compared to fast-food joints. Well, thanks to that hot oil, these potatoes were golden and extra crispy. So much better than the other gourmet burger places. All in all, I really enjoyed my meal here. Hopefully, it won't suffer the lack of traffic that sank its predecessor.

Who's The Boss?

Thursday night, I went early to Smiling Buddha for some live music. But maybe I should have been fashionably late because opener The Walls Are Blonde was an acquired taste. They started with a quavery rendition of Dancing Queen. I could handle a little faux-irony if not overdone. But then came the odd costume change, shouty exhortations, and other "arty" gestures and I just zoned out. To be fair, some members of the audience got into the DIY aesthetics.

Triple Gangers were more my cup of tea: 3-part harmonies backed synth beats and chords. Now and then, their songs got a bit skittering. But overall, there was a 80s vibe to their set. The crowd was growing and there were even a few who got into the dance groove.

Everybody was here for Bossie, Anne Douris' (Stella Ella Ola, Hollerado) solo effort as a glam-pop singer. Though the venue wasn't packed, the entire crowd was pushed right up against the stage. It's strange how buzz happens. So for a first show, Bossie had a large eager audience that some other bands may be unable to build even after several years. In any case, they took advantage by decorating the stage with tinsel, projections, and even a fog machine. Douris herself came out in a black velvet top, tight black shorts, purple hair, and body glitter.

She started with a song that had more of a Stella Ella feel, but the 2nd song was her break-out pop hit Meteor. From there, she alternated between upbeat numbers and slower pop tunes. Her voice has a nasal bite that wasn't a great fit for the faster numbers. On slow "torch songs" like So What and White Town's Your Woman, her vocals was warmer and better for that pop feel. But generally speaking, her set was enthusiastically received. Bossie finished off with Gowan's Strange Animal for an encore. I approve of the new trend of doing covers as encores.

Model Behaviour

On Tuesday, I went to the Drake Underground to hear two new-comers to the local music scene. Both were obviously "indie" (i.e., unsigned) but were more pop than experimental. Opener Good Ghost had an electro-pop meets Lana Del Ray vibe. As they pointed out, they had "one dance song". But they played a nice set: understated beats, quiet guitar, and mildly plaintive lyrics. It was low-key but not snooze-inducing. I was impressed with the quality of these young musicians.

It was a large crowd for Mieke's EP release. This alias was the musical nom-de-plume for model Elissa Mielke. She played most of her set with just her and a piano. From photos online of her artfully tousled blond mane and sloe-eyed gaze, you might be expecting soft, airy pop. But with her strong jawline, assertive voice, and penchant for confessional, prose-like lyrics, she oddly reminded me more of Carrie Underwood or Shania Twain even if there was nothing country in her music. Mielke said that this EP was a big step for her, and not only because she "spent all her money on it". It was an admission that music was her main passion, even if it was a "career that makes no money". To that end, she was joined on stage by a growing number of musicians to play through her EP. These songs had more "pop production" and I could see mainstream radio play for them especially crooner Sleeping Alone.

Both of these young acts have strong material and talent. It will be interesting to see their progress in the days ahead.

Summer Harvest

On Saturday, I stopped by Harvest Kitchen at Harbord and Spadina for brunch. This eatery claims to use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. It was mostly empty inside because everyone opted for the back patio. I ordered a small "elixer" ($3.95), an omelet ($11.95) and two slices of peameal bacon ($1.35/each). From the description of the juice which included kale, spinach and celery, I was hoping it wasn't too grassy like a real-life "Veggie Boy". But it was smooth and refreshing, made palatable by the ginger and lemon.

The omelet was stuffed with mushrooms, eggplant, and cheese. It was tasty but well-cooked whereas I prefer the softer French-style. The cold soup based on puree apples made a fine complement to the eggs. The bacon was excellent: fatty, smokey and meaty. Even the slaw was good, not overly acidic and soft without being overly moist. All in all, the meal had a nicely balanced combination of flavour.

Space Is The Place

Thursday night, I went to Burdock for some live music. First up was L Con. The more I hear their "experimental space folk", the more I enjoy their airy arrangements but anchored by solid bass and beats. To be fair, those drums come from cheap pre-programmed synths. But when you have excellent music on top, they don't sound so cheesy. Tonight was no different. The only downside was that the newer stuff like the bluesy song about "getting rid of ghosts" and a funky "space jam" wasn't available for purchase.

The head-liner was Paper Beats Scissors. This band, augmented with some extra players on french horn and violin, is fronted by Tim Crabtree. Although based in Halifax, his English burr could be lightly heard in his stage patter. I've found the sound here to be excellent but tonight I was partially defeated. Crabtree comes from the "white man screaming" school of singing, and I had trouble making heads or tails of his lyrics. The arrangement themselves were Arcade Fire-ish anthems. That is, sparse and slow passages that grew in sonic layers and then gradually diminished. Unfortunately, with the majority of the dozen or so songs having the same characteristics, I zoned out after a while.

Almuerzo

On Thursday, I was feeling a bit low. I had just found out that a recession will likely have a negative impact on my future. Maybe a good lunch can raise my mood. At Bloor and Dufferin, there's a "mini-mexico" with several businesses including two dining spots. But just a bit away from this spot, nearer to Lansdowne, Latin World also offers food.

Similar to Tierra Azteca, it's a combination small ethnic grocer with a few tables for dining. I guess this is Toronto's version of a bodega. Latin World is a family business, with Mom in the kitchen and the teenage daughters taking orders and serving food. I ordered a small pozole ($5) and a chilaquiles ($10). Before my mains arrived, there was complimentary tacos with 2 kinds of sauce.

The tacos were freshly fried and crispy. The red sauce had more kick while the milder yellow sauce provided a palate cleanser. Along with Mexican coke, made with sugar cane, it was a nice start to a stultifyingly humid day.

For my soup, I chose chicken instead of the more traditional pork. The bowl was also filled soft hominy or white corn kernels. The flavouring was mild and not too salty. After the addition of lettuce and raw onions, I was practically full. The plate of chilaquiles had tacos soaked in sauce, topped with the usual cheese, refried beans, and beef. It was a bit bland but only because the portion was huge. This seemed more like a family-size dish than for 1 person. So after a while, it just got tiresome to eat. This was a filling, no-fuss lunch in a cozy, laid-back store.