NXNE 2008

We Are Wolves @ NXNE 2008

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By Scott Bryson (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 2:30 pm
Date: June 13, 2008 BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Nope, we still don't have enough wolf bands. Not enough synth-punk ones, at least. We Are Wolves recently won a Montreal International Music Initiative award for being the band with the greatest international potential. Does that mean they're already domestic has-beens? Grade:...
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Adam & The Amethysts @ NXNE 2008

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By Noah Love (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Adam Waito from Miracle Fortress literally unleashes his folk-pop side project. This was their first show. Grade: 68 Comment: You have to give Waito some credit — the songs weren't terrible, and the performances had enough charm to keep the operation afloat. But they have a long, long way to go before they'...
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Adam & The Ameythysts (Photo by Rachel Verbin)

Miss Derringer @ NXNE 2008

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By Sarah Kurchak (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Miss Derringer are four dapper looking gentlemen with matching uniforms and armbands and one tiny, adorable woman in one hell of a costume. They play a mix of rockabilly, old country and classic girl group pop. Grade: 70 Comment: Miss Derringer certainly have the makings of a great band. They’ve got a...
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NXNE 2008

Danny Echo @ NXNE 2008

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By Sarah Kurchak (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Danny Echo are a radio-friendly rock four-piece who share their name with their frontman. Grade: 68 Comment: Danny Echo mean well, and they’re very competent at what they do. Unfortunately, they seem to be so heavily influenced by every popular British and American band in the past 30 or 40 years that their...
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NXNE 2008

Starvin Hungry @ NXNE 2008

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By Sarah Kurchak (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Starvin Hungry are a quartet of tight pant-wearing rapscallions who play fast and dirty rock’n’roll. Grade: 80 Comment: With a little bit of rockabilly, a hint of punk and a hell of a lot of good old rock 'n' roll, Starvin Hungry play a kind of hip-shaking, sleazy rawk that should appeal to fans of bands like...
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NXNE 2008

Hollerado @ NXNE 2008

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By Sarah Kurchak (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Hollerado are four nice, young men who play cute and catchy alternative pop/rock about love, life and some vaguely cowboy-ish stories about their fictional home, which carries the same moniker as their band. They’re kind of like Canada’s answer to The Refreshments’ first album, but cooler and with more music nerd...
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Slim Twig @ Silver Dollar

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By Noah Love (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:00 pm
Photo by Rachel Verbin Date: June 14, 2008 BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Slim Twig and his Mercy Mercenaries return from a tour. They are better for having gone, says I. Grade: 94 Comment: The first time I saw Slim Twig, the ensuing 91 was mostly due to shock. His April performance at Lee's was a disappointment, but...
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Elfin Saddle @ NXNE 2008

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By Noah Love (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:00 pm
Photo by Rachel Verbin Band: Elfin Saddle Hometown: Montreal, QC Date: June 14, 2008 BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: This Montreal duo are a guy and a Japanese girl who play baroque pop on a variety of instruments. Grade: 74 Comment: Emi Honda and Jordan McKenzie's subtle songs reminded me...
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The Luyas @ NXNE 2008

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By Noah Love (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:00 pm
Photo by Rachel Verbin Band: The Luyas Hometown: Montreal, QC Date: June 14, 2008 BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Miracle Fortress's Adam Waito got a slot early in the night. Jessie Stein's much-buzzed Luyas got the highly coveted midnight set. It wasn't hard to see why. Grade: 86 Comment: Give a girl...
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This Is Radio Freedom @ NXNE 2008

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By Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 1:00 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: This Is Radio Freedom play straight-up rock 'n' roll music. It’s crunchy, loud and seems to be more about style than music for this UK quartet. Grade: 70 Comment: This Is Radio Freedom remind me of those guys in high school who start a band for the sole purpose of getting laid, but realized...
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This Is Radio Freedom (Photo by Zack Vitiello)

Run With The Kittens @ NXNE 2008

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By Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 12:30 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Run With The Kittens are every bit as odd as their band name suggests. Mixing everything from lounge to power-metal to stand-up comedy, this Toronto quartet is one of the most entertaining live acts I have ever seen. Grade: 92 Comment: This is by far the highest grade I have given out all...
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Run With The Kittens (Photo by Zack Vitiello)

Adam & Dave's Bloodline @ NXNE 2008

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By Evan Dickson (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 12:00 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Philadelphians Adam Garbinski (vocals, guitar) and Dave Peterson (vocals, guitar) recruited Brian Newell (drums) and Kirk Henderson (bass, keyboards) to fill out their home recording project. Grade: 72 Comment: Adam and Dave's Bloodline took the stage right around the time I started to feel sorry for everybody at...
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NXNE 2008

Infighter @ NXNE 2008

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By Evan Dickson (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 12:00 pm
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: The phrase "standard four-piece rock setup" increasingly seems to mean guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, instead of the rhythm section plus two guitars. Pop rockers Infighter clearly got that memo. Grade: 69 Comment: Infighter are a music critics worst nightmare: a "good" band. It's easy to...
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NXNE 2008

Scouts Honor @ NXNE 2008

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By Evan Dickson (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: This Chicago hardcore/southern rock/metal trio showed the tiny Kathedral crowd just how loud an empty room can get. Grade: 79 Comment: The Kathedral was so dead and I was so bored by the time Scouts Honor came on that they actually startled me awake when drummer David Dobbs pounded out his first kick beat. I...
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NXNE 2008

Triple Cobra @ NXNE 2008

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By Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Scarves! Glitter! Flying V guitars! Showgirl backup dancers! Grade: 95 Comment: Between Triple Cobra and Semi Precious Weapons, it's obvious that American glam is making yet another comeback. I'm giving more of a nod to these guys, though, since their wickedly catchy tunes will give them an edge in sustaining...
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NXNE 2008

Sean Brown @ NXNE 2008

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By Erin Bell (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Sean Brown hails from Winnipeg and delivers indie rock with a dash of punk. He was joined by another guitarist, bass player and drummer who had apparently flown in from Winnipeg that day and touched down in Toronto only an hour or two before the gig. Grade: 73 Comment: Brown is a solid songwriter and a great...
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NXNE 2008

Fred @ NXNE 2008

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By Evan Dickson (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Substituting for India's Menwhopause was this Irish power pop band with an equally odd name. They repeatedly mentioned they're from Cork, Ireland, but with his accent it sounded like frontman Joseph O'Leary was saying "quark." Grade: 77 Comment: It took a few songs, but Fred eventually got my head bobbing...
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NXNE 2008

Sisters Of Sheynville @ NXNE

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By Erin Bell (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Remember that swing dancing craze that had urban hipsters learning the lindy hop? Well, it ain't got nothing on "swing-klez," the brand of music performed by this all-female sextet that harkens back to the Yiddish swing era of the '30s and '40s. That's not all the Sisters of Sheynville are about, though: they...
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NXNE 2008

Clothes Make The Man @ NXNE 2008

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By Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Solid melodic rock played by a quartet of semi-scruffy indie dudes. Grade: 85 Comment: It's not hard to see why Clothes Make The Man's star has been on the rise: Their hook-heavy tunes are radio friendly, and they're a bunch of lookers to boot. Shame about the broken bass drum skin, but at least it happened...
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NXNE 2008

Koogaphone @ NXNE 2008

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By Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack) June 16, 2008 11:30 am
BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: A double assault of two chicks with guitars, plus a dude pounding the skins in the back. Grade: 68 Comment: I seem to recall seeing Koogaphone at NXNE years ago (kinda hard to forget that band name), and was similarly underwhelmed by them. It's hard to define what this trio is missing, but it's something they...
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NXNE 2008
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