Thu, February 12, 2004

Please feed The Chickens

The Chickens are one of Toronto's best-kept secrets, unfortunately. With their irresistible '70s-punk-meets-Detroit-rock sound, fiendish energy and impressive longevity, these veterans should really be household names by now.

The band members have impeccable credentials, having previously played in the kick-ass Toronto punk band U.I.C. They reformed as The Chickens in 1999, and have just put out their excellent second album, Bring It On!, with the able assistance of producer Ian Blurton. On Saturday they'll celebrate its release with a roof-raising show at the Horseshoe that should not be missed.

WAVELENGTH TURNS FOUR: The eclectic, eccentric Wavelength music series celebrates its fourth anniversary this week with four shows, each featuring four acts.

The birthday bash kicks off tonight at the Music Gallery with Hamilton electronica act Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks, the Glissandro 70 guitar showdown, "panic folk" trio Les Mouches and acclaimed singer/songwriter Jim Guthrie.

Tomorrow, Fembots, the Barmitzvah Brothers, I Can Put My Arm Back On You Can't (my current favourite band name) and Ultra Magnus rock Dovercourt House at Bloor and Dovercourt.

On Saturday, AIDS Wolf, Lenin I Shumov, The Barcelona Pavilion and controller.controller play Rockit. And finally, TV Mike & The All-Canadia All-Stars (with backup from Wavelength organizer Jonny Dovercourt), Ninja High School (Currently In These United States frontman Matt Collins' hip-hop alter ego), Les Angles Morts and Sea Snakes bring it on home to Sneaky Dee's, where Wavelength resides the rest of the year. All the shows are pay what you can, and also feature DJs including Soundscapes' Greg Davis, Neil Haverty, Treatment Restriction and Expensive Shit.

SEEING STARS: Montreal dreamy pop band Stars, whose Heart album won over many hardened hearts last year with its sweet and catchy love songs, play Studio 99 on Sudbury Street tomorrow. Also tomorrow, Truth & Rights, the veteran local reggae band, is at the Horseshoe and Dutch goth-metal band The Gathering is at Rockit.

HIGHWAY LOVE: Saturday is Valentine's Day, and the 360 is celebrating with the Truckers' Valentine Ball, the proceeds of which will go to support a mobile museum exhibit called Highway Workplace: The Canadian Trucker's Story. Dancing music will be provided for the occasion by the folksy-bluesy Daisy DeBolt Trio, rockabilly band The Matadors and country singers Uncle Herb Dale and Ferdinand Blom, accompanied by Stompin' Tom drummer Rob Duffus.

Other, somewhat different Valentine's shows include Blackie & the Rodeo Kings at Hugh's Room, Reid Jamieson at the Rivoli and Pete Rock and CL Smooth at the Opera House.

SAVE THE MUSIC GALLERY: The Music Gallery, longtime home of all kinds of avant-garde music, is suffering from financial cutbacks. Help keep this bastion of truly alternative music going by checking out its benefit concert, featuring Halifax soprano Janice Jackson and original live electronic group The Canadian Electronic Ensemble, Sunday at St. George the Martyr Church.