The Windsor Scene with Lauren Hedges

Lauren Hedges

First things first, the playlist from this week’s installment of The Windsor Scene, also available as a download.

Dave Russell – Toys (Unnatural Disaster – 2010)

Fresh Breath – Speed of Sound (The Speed of Sound – 2010)

Jordan Dollar – Flight (Move Forward II – 2010)

Acousticfire – Sorry Old Man (The Windsor Zene Sampler February – 2011)

Goliath – Facebreaker (Funweiser EP – 2011)

Assassinate the Following… – Sinful Beginnings (Assasinate the Following…)

Fuck The Facts – Fingers with Candy Tips (Collection of Splits 2000-2004 – 2005)

Tony Coates – Beautiful (2010)

Anonymous Bosch – Death, Metal, and Blues (Anonymous Bosch)

Awake to a Dream – Tainted (2011)

ATM – Crusty Barnacle (ATM/Gnarlie Murphy Split – 2010)

Shortcut to Last – It’s Not Enough (I Know You’re Not One For Serious Situations – 2010)

Riverside – The Best is Yet To Come (Newspeak)

Time Giant – Lobotomy (Grow – 2011)

Sewing with Nancie – Naïve (The Same Three Chords – 2000)

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Muscle Relaxants (Departing – 2011)

Lonesome Lefty & The Cryin’ Shames – Back to the Sugar Camp (Souvenir Album – 2011)

Yellow Wood – Be A Little Braver (Son of the Oppressor – 2009)

Yellow Wood – Picture (Son of the Oppressor – 2009)

And a few notes on the show;

Thanks to Dave Russell for the nudge towards his tunes! Anonymous Bosch did a similar thing this week as well, informing me of their newly-submitted album. There are a lot of CDs in our library, and I have yet to find the time to become familiar with all of them. Requests for music, whether they’re coming from artists or fans, are always welcome and appreciated. So what do you want to hear?

Awake to a Dream, Tony Coates, and Shortcut to Last are rad for supplying their music after I asked for it. Thanks for helping to build the show, and CJAM’s local library!

Anyone else interested in having their albums added to our selection of local artists can feel free to drop CD’s (or vinyl!) off at the station in the basement of the CAW Student Centre at The University of Windsor.

This past week I was in attendance at a number of sweet shows.

Last Thursday, which also happened to be St. Patty’s Day, I spent my evening at The Coach, and as my alcohol consumption went up, I remembered more. Yes, I know this makes no sense, but there it is. What this translates into is this; of The Kettle Black I remember a dude with a guitar, some black curtains, and weirdness. So, that is to say, not very much. On to Devilz by Definition, then. Metal. Lots of mids, high-pitched screaming. We’re getting better. So next came Awake to a Dream. A ukulele cover of The “Last Saskatchewan Pirate” by The Arrogant Worms, and I geeked out. Music from Sonic 2. I geeked more. It was awesome!

Sunday night was Shared Arms, Everyone Everywhere, and The All Night in an all-ages show at Phog. Pop-punk at it’s finest. The moshing had to be continually squashed, and the crowd sang as loud as the bands, even when they weren’t hijacking microphones. It made me really appreciate and wonder at the dedication of music fans in Windsor, that they learn the words to every single song of the local bands they love. It’s great to see, you won’t find it quite the same anywhere else.

Tuesday night was the debut of Cellos in the opening slot for KEN Mode. I unfortunately had to miss the first band thanks to work, but folks tell me it was quite the experience.  My first encounter with KEN Mode was pretty damn awesome, but I don’t know how to describe it. They can’t be defined by a single (or even 3) genre. It was for sure heavy, and the mixing of an Orange stack with a Mesa head almost made me cry I loved it so much. Instead of trying and failing to describe this music, how about you just listen to it.

Friday the 25^th is a very busy night in the Windsor music scene, but I’ll give you the rundown on my show of choice (and believe me; it wasn’t an easy one). At The Blind Dog you can see Silver Glory, Awake to a Dream, Nuclear Sunrise, Bleach, Jonas & the Massive Attraction, and Anonymous Bosch for only $10 (with the purchase of an advance ticket).  A night of rock’n’roll at it’s finest. Pretty stoked for this one.

But any show you choose in Windsor this weekend, whether it’s Tony Coates at Taloola, Fuck the Facts at The Coach, or Freedom Within at Trees, it’s gonna be great, because Windsor fans are half the fun of these shows, and they’re sure to be packing each one of them.

And as an extra special tip, if you tune in to the show next Wednesday between 5 and 630 you’ll have a chance to win a pair of tickets to the upcoming Perpetuate CD Release Show with Baptized in Blood and Betrayer. That’s right, free tickets to a sweet metal show. What more can you ask for?

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. 11: Tara Watts early show at Taloola Cafe

To many these days, Tara Watts is the sultry roots rockin’ vixen who makes up 1/5 of one of Windsor’s finest musical congregations, The Locusts Have No King, but for many years prior to her saddling up with those outlaws, she was simply regarded as one of the musical community’s finest performers and songwriters. Two years back she released the beautiful Eric Welton produced About Love, an 11-song manifesto about love, heartache and Camels in Canada, featuring musical appearances by such musicians as the enigmatic Johnny West, percussionist Sally Zori from Kenneth MacLeod’s Windsor Salt Band and Huladog, and Stefan Cvetkovic of Michou and Efan! fame. She was also one of the city’s most beloved Open Mic hosts, running Phog’s Monday night faithful, Open Mic Surgery for years (filling the big shoes of Ron Leary before her quite admirably) until she stepped down to concentrate on her schooling last year. But while The Locusts Have No King take a break to begin work on new songs for a new record and band mates Leigh Wallace, Paul Loncke and Joey DesRochers turn their attentions to their other project, Years of Ernest (alongside Andrew MacLeod), Watts is getting back out and offering us up an offering of what she does best. Sit down with her guitar and tell us a song.

This Friday, you couldn’t ask for a better setting to experience Tara Watts than with an early show at Taloola Cafe (396 Devonshire Rd.) in Walkerville. They always start their shows early and on time (8 pm) so it’s a great excuse to pop in and try one of their many teas or coffees or grab a light snack before heading out for another later show. Or call it an early night but still manage to grab a show.

Tara Watts, Taloola Cafe (396 Devonshire Rd.), Friday February 11, 8pm