Hot Summer

Having been exposed to the blazing sun at both Retrocity's Jazz showcase and Kiesza's synth-dance, I dragged myself home to cool down. But I finally roused myself enough to head over to The Burdock for a final show on Saturday.

I only caught 1 song from the first act. Raleigh, a experimental-pop band from Toronto via Calgary, then took to the stage. Usually a trio, they were more acoustic tonight without their drummer. With the intimate setting, they decided to play mostly new material with tentative titles like Living In Ocean, Sunrise and Acid Tongue. Their music leaned toward unusual chord changes, soft harmonies and fragmentary lyrics. But what stood out for me was Clea Anais's cello, which had more complexity than the typical "background string" arrangement of most pop songs. The band seemed to have a super-fan who was very vocal in his appreciation after every number.

The main reason I was there was for the new Vancouver version of Olenka and the Autumn Lovers. Even when she was still in the area, Olenka Krakus didn't play much in Toronto, being based out of London. Now that she has moved to the West Coast, I thought the show two years ago might have been my last. I was in for a treat tonight. This incarnation, with drums, lead guitar, and a "woodwind" section comprising of a dude switching between bass clarinet, alto and soprano sax, was big and muscular. They played mainly brand new songs (Runaways, Courtyard) and new-ish songs from the Hard Times EP (Hard Times, Winterlude). These were more indie-rock than the Eastern European feel of their old songs. When these  (Warsaw Girl, Iron Pump) were played, there were plenty of cheers. Thanks to the great sound at this venue, their set was the best I've seen from them.