I was curious about Kill Krinkle Club--a lo-fi Irish-Swedish duo from Dublin, and I always try to see as many of the intenational bands as possible (will anyone ever match Zoobombs, and the Moist Towelettes' version of "We Are Ninja"? Yeah, yeah Monotonix. Not to be all jealous, but no one who watched that go down has been able to tell me one decent thing about their music). It may have been the empty Hell, or the fact that they were sick all week, but I wasn't quite feeling the Club. I think there's something to the music--it's really stripped down, pretty bare--but the set felt like flat ginger ale. However I do appreciate their wardrobe--his outfit is much more complex than I first thought, including the lace wristband and the tightest, best-fitting skinny pants I've seen in awhile. You have to work to get them like that. Such dedication to the cause.
Upstairs, The Got To Get Got played a really tight (not tight like pants), energetic set. Although I don't like to make declarations--especially because there are so many fantastic musicians running around this city right now--I do think they are one of Halifax's best bands, and one of the finest looking too. So I think I have a different take on the whole Sebastien Grainger thing--even though I listened to the album a few times and felt pretty "meh" about it. Actually, I thought that show had balls. Yes, it was a big hipster scam wrapped in an American Apparel t-shirt, and filled with cocksure 'tude that would make me want to puke if I ever encountered it, in say, the drugstore, but I thought it was actually pretty fun. And sometimes that's all a show needs to be. In between bands CBC's Grant Lawrence tossed CBC merch into a crazed crowd--is it free stuff or is it love for public broadcasting that makes people climb over each other? I really want to buy a t-shirt cannon and start a side business.Finally Islands. I'm always in awe of musicians who can play violin/keyboards/sing all at the same time. Nothing makes me want to go back in time and improve my recorder skills. Seriously though, for a band that has had a lot of line-up changes over the past couple of years, these guys are a pretty tight unit--like a symphonic robot with feelings. Whatever the hell that means (i'm so bloody tired). A treat of a show, this was a perfect way to end this year's Pop Explosion.