Ottawa Buzz: Million Dollar Marxists, Weapons Of Mass Seduction And The Soiree

Your weekend is planned. Three Ottawa bands are releasing records on Saturday night, and together they cover the rock 'n' roll spectrum.

Your first stop should be Barrymore's to take in the frenzied, sweaty show of the Million Dollar Marxists. To call them one of Canada's finest punk bands is a start, but it also does a disservice to the full range of the M$M sound. They are a great rock band, period. They take true-blue punk as their base and then toss it in all directions.

M$M have become even more diversified recently, by adding a new member (Davey Quesnelle on keyboards and guitar) and expanding their sound on the new Zero Culture album. The record showcases "darker tone," explains bassist Johnny Oulton, "while maintaining the hooks and catchiness associated with prior releases. Gone to a certain extent, though not altogether, are the two-minute, guitar-driven songs with the standard guitar solo.

"There is more experimentation in terms of musicianship, and more of an effort to make each song its own thing, especially in terms of vocal treatment. That being said, this is still very much a rock 'n' roll record. It just more accurately reflects our diverse influences and thoughts."

Zero Culture also marks the band's departure from the California-based Gearhead Records label. This time they've stayed closer to home by releasing the album through St. Catharines, Ontario's Stumble Records. Take in the new sounds, and the reliably excellent live show, on Saturday at Barrymore's with Embassies Of Denmark and Les Alumettes. Montrealers should note that M$M will be at Cafe Chaos on Nov. 10.

Your next move on Saturday night should be to take the few steps next door to Babylon, where Weapons Of Mass Seduction will celebrate their second release, Desperate Men... And The Women Who Love Them. WOMS aim for the low-end, bluesy side of rock, and they manage to capture their raw energy on record.

"It was recorded on a four-track cassette, which probably added a bit of liveliness to the proceedings," the band — Jake, The Duke and Bill — write in a collective email. They're such a tight unit that they apparently even answer questions in sync.

The trio explain how their sound has shifted since their Thank You For Your Daughters debut came out in 2004.

"The lyrical content is a little less accusatory in tone on this record, which reflects a certain maturity and perhaps a need to begin looking for other suspects when answering questions of 'Why?' 'When?' and 'What the hell is going on?'

"We play together better than ever before. At this rate, we suspect that we'll be proficient enough to give the NAC (National Arts Centre) Orchestra a run for their money by about 2048."

Even if their sleazy riffs never quite make it to concert halls, Weapons Of Mass Seduction work well in a dimly-lit bar. C'mon and The Nymphets join them for their CD release party on Saturday.

"We're contemplating destroying all the unsold copies of the album at the end of the night just to ensure that it becomes a collectors item," the band say.

If you still have energy and time after the rock 'n' roll attack, head south on Bank Street for some more reflective pop-rock from The Soiree. Their Birds debut is a carefully layered record of mostly gentle indie pop. They may be a newer band, but the members have known each other for years. And they've worked at getting their sound just so.

"What took persistence was staying enthusiastic through the one-and-a-half years of practising without playing shows, and getting through the 'Hey, we just formed a band' songwriting days," says bassist/vocalist Matthew Arnold.

At first, The Soiree settled on a country-ish sound, and remnants of it still remain. But Arnold says, "I think we tried to find our sound too quickly. But as time passed, I think a truer sound of what we could do together has started to come out. I don't know if we're aiming for a sound so much as recognizing that playing a more instinctive style is leading us somewhere we're very excited about."

The Soiree have invited Alanna Stuart to open for the CD release party at Irene's Pub on Saturday.

While you're recovering from the weekend of live music, why not watch two new videos from the Hilotrons? "Born A Dancer" features the all-female wrestling troupe The Rumbelinas dressed in French maid outfits. Yes, it's as suggestive as that limited description sounds. "Oh My," on the other hand, is a grainy mini-movie (shot on Super 8) featuring lead Hilotron Mike Dubue and singer-songwriter Sarah Hallman. Both videos are being released on Friday, and you can check them out via MySpace, YouTube and the band's website.

Ottawa pop group Lure are headed out on their first southern Ontario tour. Here are the dates:
Nov. 13 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Nov. 15 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Nov. 16 London, ON @ Last Drop
Nov. 17 Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
Nov. 20 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah

If you don't have enough to do on Saturday already, you can also check out Cross The Floor's debut at Mavericks. The band, who feature former members of 54stance and Project Wyze, will play alongside Eight Minute Veil and A Plot Against Me.

My Dad Vs Yours hit Babylon on November 8. Harshey release a new CD with help from The G-Men, Jerk Appeal and The Bella Bombs at the same venue on November 11. Casey Comeau & The Centretown Wilderness Club and Dear Judah open for Elliott Brood the same night at Barrymore's.