Miscellaneous - Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, 26/8/2006

  by Andrew Carver

published: 26 / 8 / 2006

intro

80's influenced Toronto-based quintet These Electric Lives' recent Ottawa gig had local acts Embassies of Denmark and City of 100 Spires as support. Despite a rapidly decreasing audience, Andrew Carver watches them put on an energetic set

Opening support group City of 100 Spires already had their gear set up in front of Zaphod’s stage, so the crowd milled around in front of the band as they jumped about. The band’s music offers a slightly more aggressive take on the post-rock pioneered by Tortoise – no surprise, they’re big Mogwai fans. While not the next Mono, they made for an interesting spectacle. Embassies of Denmark, who came next, are rapidly turning into a local favourite. They have one foot in screaming punk and the other in melodic rock – to my ears they haven’t quite reconciled the too, and I would prefer to hear more of the melody and less of the screaming. After the Embassies’ brief set, Toronto-based quintet These Electric Lives prepared for their headlining stint. Unfortunately as they loaded in, most of the audience snuck out. Despite rapidly decreasing attendance, they put on an energetic set. There was a remarkable amount of band-audience banter considering that the membership ratio was about equal, and guitarist Brian Lowe made a few jumps from the drum riser, shortage of witnesses be damned. Musically, the band draws on early 1980's. The name of the Psychedelic Furs, Interpol and Metric have been frequently dropped in the wake of their performances (indeed, bassist Gary Peter has roadied for Metric); one could add that singer Mark Stanfield’s exasperated croon sounds a bit like that of Robert Smith’s of the Cure. Delay-pedal induced jangle adds to the impression. While their set wasn’t as thrilling as similarly inclined up-and-comers The Meligrove Band, they are more than entertaining enough to justify investigation.

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