Kazoo! #131: Feb 2nd: BOCCE (album release) / PARADISE ANIMALS / NICK STORRING @ eBAr

BOCCE:
www.kwbocceclub.com
Waterloo, Ontario based electronic-rock band Bocce have a new album and live performance. The self-produced kraut-rock inspired album (entitled Future 1.0) takes a look into the future according to yesterday. Visions of flying cars, jet packs and silver jumpsuits that once brought hope and excitement are revisited through Bocce’s synthesizer based music. The live show is an audio/visual multimedia experience. Bocce is Tony Salomone, Nik Must, Mike Bond and Ben Ong. They have toured throughout Canada and played several music festivals including Pop Montreal, Hillside Inside, LOLA and Canadian Music Week. Future 1.0 will be released in February 2012 as a free or “pay what you can” digital download.

PARADISE ANIMALS:
paradiseanimals.bandcamp.com
Venture back to the late 70′s and early 80′s where music was raw and emotional; this is where Paradise Animals exists. In between writing and recording his sophomore album with Toronto/Guelph based Indie-Disco-House outfit Green Go, multi-instrumentalist Mark Andrade opted to take some time for himself. With what was a shoebox of unfinished ideas and sounds, Andrade tied up his musical & emotional loose ends, added infinite layers and textures, and released them as songs under the guise of Paradise Animals. He then called on some friends to help actualize his new project. Paradise Animals is a chameleon; a band that frequently sheds its skin. What might first appear in shades of grey as ambience set against spastic noise can swiftly transition into a soulful dance party of red, yellow and shimmering blue.

NICK STORRING:
www.nickstorring.ca
Nick Storring is a Toronto based composer, cellist and improviser with a wide palette of interests, ranging from warped dance music to electroacoustic music, experimental pop to chamber music, and even collaborations within various “non-Western” traditions. His work regularly accompanies theatre, film and intermedia projects. Apart from making regular solo appearances with cello, voice and electronics, he also plays in Picastro (Polyvinyl Records), and Toronto-based Son Jarocho (Mexican folk music) group Café Con Pan. He has collaborated live and in the studio with Nadja, Sandro Perri, Daniel Johnston, Araz Salek, Laura Barrett, Rhys Chatham, Wyrd Visions, Andrew Timar, Castlemusic, Eddie Prévost, Diane Labrosse, and Damo Suzuki (of Can). Expect his live set to be a weird blend of processed beat-boxing, swooping cello soloing, and layered vocals.

Thursday February 2nd
@ eBar (41 Quebec St)
All Ages / LIC
Doors 9:30pm
$8

Kazoo! #132: Feb. 16th: THE ELWINS / PURE JOY / ESTHER GREY @ eBar

THE ELWINS:
theelwins.bandcamp.com/
Ontario independent pop act The Elwins are a part of a vital practice of D.I.Y. pop eccentrics whose ’60s swoon-worthy melodies unabashedly ignore current trends in indie music. This is a band that reminds one of exactly what can be very good about rock and roll; simplicity and solid songwriting backed by some naturally talented young musicians. The Elwins are a true gem among other independent artists.

PURE JOY:
www.purejoy.ca/
Combining hook sensibilities, layers of vocals, and lyrical whimsy, Pure Joy offers a unique brand of pop-rock that you can move around to. Influenced by 60s pop, 70s new wave, and little bit of 90s alt-rock, these Guelph, Ontario troubadours focus on catchy songs about emotion, ambition, and the human condition, as well as blurring the gender line for voices. Concocted from former members of Texting Mackenzie and Dancehall Free for All, Pure Joy delivers 60s influenced pop/rock with the emphasis on vocal harmonies and a less-is-more approach to performance.

ESTHER GREY:
esthergrey.bandcamp.com/
A new project from Steph Yates. Steph plays the banjo, she is joined by Tyson Brinacombe on drums and Gin Murray on accordian. Esther Grey have just released a split cassette tape with Tyson & His Game Boy on Cassettestival (Guelph’s new tape only label). Haunting lo-fi folk music with an experimental glimmer, one of Guelph’s newest and best!

Thursday February 16th
@ eBar (41 Quebec St)
All Ages / LIC
Doors 9:30pm, Music 10pm
$7 Cover

Kazoo! Fest seeks Zine & Comic Expo Coordinator!!

That’s right! We need a Zine & Comic Expo Coordinator for Kazoo! Fest 2012. The event happens Sat. April 14th as part of Kazoo! Fest. The Zine & Comic Expo Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the organization of the entire event with the support of a team of volunteers; plans and organizing begin in early January. Are you interested in Zines and Comics? Are you involved in DIY publishing culture? Are you an amazing person who likes to make amazing things happen? This could be a fun project for you!! If interested contact Brad Mc by email: kazookazoo@gmail.com (By Jan 9th at latest!). Kazoo! Fest is entirely run by volunteers so this is a volunteer position.

A summary/preview of last year’s Zine & Comic Expo is here.

Please pass this along to anyone you think would be interested. thanks!

Kazoo! Foodbank Fundraiser: Dec 11th: PURE JOY / TYSON & HIS GAMEBOY / LAURA SIMON

The CSA FoodBank at the University of Guelph is currently attempting to support over 600 individuals from the University of Guelph community, including 47 children whose parents are students. This year, the use of this service went up 40%, which was an increase the FoodBank is not financially able to accommodate. Your support is much needed and greatly appreciated at this time. All donations will go directly toward purchasing food for the FoodBank.

To help out, Kazoo! will be hosting a special CSA Foodbank Fundraiser on Sunday December 11th at eBar with all proceeds going to support the Foodbank. The night will include performances by:

PURE JOY
TYSON AND HIS GAME BOY
FLORIDA SIMON

Sunday December 11th: Kazoo! #129
A fundraiser for the CSA Foodbank
@ eBar (41 Quebec St)
All Ages/ LIC
Early Show: Doors 9pm, Music at 9:30
$8 or $6 with canned good – All proceeds go to support the CSA Foodbank

Kazoo! #128: Dec. 1st: SNOWBLINK / ALEX LUKASHVSKY / DEL BEL @ EBAR

SNOWBLINK:
http://www.snowblink.org
In 2008, Daniela Gesundheit of Snowblink moved from California to Toronto, irreversibly altering Snowblink from a whimsical warm-weather band touting four male backup singers to the current acclaimed duo with Dan Goldman (Luxury Pond). Snowblink quickly became “one of the most compelling new voices on the Canadian scene” (CBC) as 2010 saw them opening up for Owen Pallett, Timber Timbre, and The Hidden Cameras on extended tours throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. Gesundheit also toured extensively through Canada as part of the Toronto band Bruce Peninsula, and recently participated in the National Parks Project trip to Cape Breton alongside Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers) and Chris Leudecke (Old Man Leudecke). Snowblink’s debut record, Long Live, was recorded in California, Toronto, and Brooklyn, bringing together Gesundheit’s far-reaching communities. The collaborators and guest appearances on the record include Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof), Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver), Nat Baldwin (Dirty Projectors), Frank Lyon (Keepaway), and Ryan Driver. Though Snowblink is currently a Toronto-based duo, the line-up of Snowblink past has been known to expand to include other extended community members — MGMT as backup singers, Frank Lyon (Keepaway), Caley Monahon-Ward (Extra Life), and Ryan Driver among them.

ALEX LUKASHEVSKY:
http://www.myspace.com/alukashevsky
Legendary secret Toronto genius Alex Lukashevsky (Deep Dark United) preforms his solo compositions with a trio of singers. Quirky avant blues, jazz inspired weirdo compositions unfold as Alex playfully navigates the acoustic guitar and juxtoposes his grizzly voice against those of his crooning female back up singers. They interact playfully as Alex sing talks his tales. Sometimes accompanying his instrumentation the singers act as an extension of Alex’s imagination. Singing from the heart, but never forgetting the joker in his mind. One of Toronto’s best kept secrets!

DEL BEL:
http://delbel.bandcamp.com/
Del Bel began in early 2010 as the recording project of Tyler Belluz. Throughout the 18 months of Oneiric’s development, the contributing musicians agreed that the music should be launched in live form. Experienced and diversified veterans of Toronto’s music scene, each band member brings unique, experimental and earnest musicality. Del Bel has become a collaborative collective, drawing players from such groups as Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene, Ohbijou, Entire Cities, Sun Parlour Players, Kite Hill, and others. Stylistically, Del Bel embodies an eerie cinematic sound infused with darkened soul and surf rock qualities. This show marks the release of their debut L ‘Oneiric’.

@ eBar (41 Quebec St)
All Ages / LIC
Doors 9:30pm
$8