The Vicious Guns @ NXNE 2008

BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Made up of ex-members of Tuuli and Les Six, The Vicious Guns (a.k.a. Jennifer MacIsaac and J.S. Roy) were an uber-stylish boy-girl synth rock duo.  

Grade: 87

Comment: Pretty much every one of their influences was laid bare on the table — Depeche Mode and Portishead were the most obvious — but these two managed to put a nice spin on old formulas. They provide a great soundtrack for either a trendy underground dance club or your next upscale loft party.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: G            
Pronunciation: S    
Stage Presence: G       
Stage Banter: S       
Image: E       
Appearance: E       
Use Of Stage: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
Unlike other groups that have a synthesizer as an unofficial band member, The Vicious Guns didn't clutter the stage with fancy machines, yet still managed to fill the space with thumping sound. There wasn't much time for between-song banter because the set ran so tightly — another accomplishment since a programmed synth can cause so many logistical nightmares. But they sure did look pretty up there.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: G    
Problem Solving: G   
Teamwork: G       
Work Habits: E       
Organization:     E       
Audience Participation: G       
Sound: S       
Composition: E       
Songs: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
Although the duo had the maligned 9 p.m. time slot, their dark, atmospheric music actually made for a nice moody opening to the night. The synth got a little loud and muddied at times, but thankfully, the machine didn't do all the work — Jenny and J.S. showed some definite chops on bass and guitar respectively, not to mention doing some lovely (though sparse) vocal harmonies.         

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: G    
Problem Solving: G    
Teamwork: S       
Sexiness: E       
Haircut: E       
Indie Rock Footwear: S       
Nods To Disposible Fashion: E       
Cool Equipment: G  
Level Of Inebriation: S       
Actual Ability: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
I can't say I buy these two as a couple — they had about as much chemistry as Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix. But between them, there was a whole lot of Vice-approved hipster pretty going on. With their personal style and a refreshing Torontonian spin on synth rock, it'll be interesting to see how far these two can take this thing — hopefully all the way to the big time.