Fri. Mar. 4 & Sat. Mar. 5: Two of Windsor’s finest songstress’ showcased at Taloola Cafe

If you’ve never been to Taloola Cafe (396 Devonshire Rd.) in Old Walkerville, you’re really missing out. Music aside, they have a great selection of munchies and light meals and one of the best tea selections in town. It’s a perfect getaway from the downtown norm and a great place to unwind. Over the last few years, they’ve also been having early evening (8-9pm) showcases by local singer/songwriters. There is little (to no) amplification, it’s just the musician and his or her instrument and the bare honesty of their voice.

This weekend is a real treat as each night’s performer is one of Windsor’s most talented up-and-coming songstresses.

Friday features Crissi Cochrane who, despite being relatively new to Windsor’s scene, is far from green. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Crissi had already carved out a name for herself on Canada’s East Coast before transplanting herself in Windsor’s murky waters. Cochrane’s voice is reminiscent of some other Canadian voices like Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards or a more stripped down Holly McNarland, but it still drips with an innocence as yet untainted by road worries or too many broken hearts.You can download a free mp3 of one of her songs as part of January’s FREE Windsor Zene Music Samplers.

Saturday showcases Deni-gan, who has been taking recent Open Mics at Phog Lounge and Milk Coffee Bar by storm. While the previous night’s songbird still feels like the innocence of a first kiss, Deni-gan is more reminiscent of someone toughened by one good broken heart and a bottle of whisky. There’s still a glimmer of hope that things will be better, but now she won’t be so trusting.

Crissi Cochrane, Friday March 4; Deni-gan, Saturday March 5, Taloola Cafe (396 Devonshire Rd.), 8pm

Fri. Feb. 4: Michou’s homecoming at Phog

Michou are undeniably Windsor’s clown princes of pop. And by no means is that meant as an insult. They write catchy melodic indie pop gems that are as infectiously encompassing as the lyrics are intelligently cohesive, but it’s delivered with such a sense of innocence and sheer joy at playing music together – their chemistry is electric – as they do for other people. They have a sense of humour about themselves, as well as this business, but continue on with a methodical mandate to play as often and as many places across Canada as they can. From their humble start playing house shows and picking up opening gigs (or just showing up and playing off nights) at venues like Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), where they happen to be rolling in to on Friday night, or Milk Coffee Bar, to suddenly touring this Great White North, picking up slots on bills with bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Dashboard Confessional and Lights, Michou has come a long way in what seems like a rather short time. But perseverance has paid off – maybe not quite as financially as they’d like, but with the respect of the national music industry at least (which is a good start). They recently secured a spot on this year’s massive Edgefest concert in Toronto, featuring such international acts as Rise Against, A Perfect Circle, The Weakerthans, Tokyo Police Club and Arkells, as well as ex-Windsorites The Reason (formerly known as Sewing With Nancie). And if that wasn’t enough, they were most recently named one of the Top 5 Finalists for the XM Radio Verge Awards in Toronto in March, for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, for last year’s bundle of pop joy Cardonia. Normally when they return to Windsor, they’re filling The Blind Dog or one of the other much bigger venues. But this time, they wanted to bring it all back home. To the little stage that launched them. For the people who provided the emotional catapult.

Opening the show will be the beautiful songs of Crissi Cochrane, a rising talent on the singer/songwriter circuit who moved to Windsor last year from Halifax, Nova Scotia. One of her compositions from last year’s release Darling, Darling, “Separate Cities”, leads off this month’s FREE Windsor Music sampler.

If you’re seriously considering going to this show, keep  in mind they pack several hundred people into larger venues to see them in their hometown. Phog holds 65 people. You will want to be there early or you will be watching through steamy windows.

Michou with special guest Crissi Cochrane, Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), Friday February 4, 9pm, 19+, $5

January 2011 Windsor Zene FREE Music Sampler

Continuing with our December Music Sampler (dedicated to December’s FunnelFest), we are proud to unveil our second monthly music sampler for you download, FREE of charge (compliments of the Windsor Zene and, more importantly, the bands and musicians involved).

We are looking to release a 12-14 song FREE music sampler every month, showcasing some of the best this area has to offer in original music. There are no genre guidelines and we encourage any local musicians to submit a track to windsorzene@gmail.com – please include production credits (producer, studio used, etc.) as well as writing credits, etc. All genres welcomed, from folk to death metal, from hip hop to rock.

January’s sampler features a preview of Poughboy‘s upcoming opus, The End of Men, the title track from Dave Russell‘s new EP Unnatural Disaster, a rare unreleased track from Vultures!, a glimpse at a new supergroup in Windsor called NeanderTHRALL (featuring members of The Heat Seeking Moisture Missiles and Gypsy Chief Goliath), as well as some entries from some great new talent such as Beijing Bike Club, Awake To A Dream, Weirdonia and Falling With Glory. Singer/songwriters Crissi Cochrane (who relocated here from Halifax, Nova Scotia last year) and Daniyal Malik (who previously fronted the band Allusion) lead off the sampler, which also features songs from veteran metal outfits Pitch Union and Tyburn Tree. Rounding out the rest of the sampler are a new track from Britpop inspired Bombs (lead by Ryan Yoker) and a gorgeous track from Luna Borealis, a side project featuring Jason Testawich from Surdaster.

Download your FREE January music sampler today (and spread the gospel!). December’s sampler is also still available!

Windsor/Essex musicians and bands who wish to be featured on upcoming sampler releases: Send one high quality .mp3 or .wav file to windsorzene@gmail.com. We can’t guarantee the month your track will appear, as they are taken first come first serve, but they will eventually be released. All genres welcomed and encouraged. The Windsor Zene is releasing these samplers FREE of charge and are not collecting any residuals from the release of these samplers. They are designed to encourage people to try out new music from their hometown.