I-Pop

Friday night at Lee's, two dance bands came to party. And they actually got the reserved Toronto crowd to move ... well, more than usual. Though not full-on party rock. Both bands also have interesting and complex lyrics compared to the typical stereotype of dance-y music.

Local band Kashka is the new effort of Kat Burns, of defunct Forest City Lovers. Backed by a guitarist and a second keys, she sang upbeat songs that still carried some melancholia (Vichada, Winterlight). As a new act, this was probably the biggest audience she's had, and primed to enjoy this kind of music. It looks like there were some converts to her brand of intelligent pop.

Young Galaxy came out dressed in white t-shirts. Throughout their set, coloured patterns, swirls, and blocks were projected on stage. By the second song, Peripheral Visionaries, a cloud of marijuana was billowing up from the pit. Stephen Kamp thanked the crowd for this special night: the first live Canadian performance of songs from their new album Ultramarine including Pretty Boy and In Fire. Lead singer Catherine McCandless was channeling a young David Bowie as she sang, strutted, and danced around on stage. Though based out of Vancouver, they had their start here in Toronto and couldn't resist a dig at Crack Mayor Rob Ford (Youth Is Wasted On The Young). Young Galaxy ended their energetic set with their latest hit New Summer, to welcome the warm weather that has finally arrived, and came back for We Have Everything.