U.S. Girls is Meg Remy's experimental pop project. I caught their intense audio and visual experience at Hillside 2018. I found it to be an ambitious, diverse and powerful performance that I would happily experience again. Each member of the collaboration brought their own energy, in look, feel and sound, to leave an indelible impression on the crowd.
And I'll have the chance at Royal Mountain Records Festival at Rasberry Farm at The Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton this weekend on September 2. Hope you'll be there for the fantastic lineup, too.
Check out some of U.S. Girls' music:
"Pearly Gates"
"Velvet 4 Sale", "Rage of Plastics", "M.A.H.", and "28 Days"
Partner are from Sackville, New Brunswick and they came to have fun. Good old, loud guitar, rock and roll fun. The kind you may not get too much any more, but when you do, you can't wipe the smile off your face.
This particular show was a bit of a different dynamic from previous shows since they didn't have live drummer and the crowd started off the set sitting on the grass. Well, not having a drummer for this show didn't sap the energy of the show one bit, and they got the crowd up on their feet, jumping around and rocking out. They also played quite a few tunes that I hadn't heard at previous live shows, including some new ones. It was a great show, one that I rather uncharacteristically stayed put and enjoyed rather than venturing out to other stages to see the other Hillside 2018 offerings.
Partner are an awesome band with amazing tunes, a refreshingly honest and unselfconscious delivery, and a characteristically Canadian sense of humour. Check out their tunes and get out to one of their shows.
Reverend Sekou with Dimpker Brothers is a combination of Arkansas' Rev Sekou along with Swedish sensations Dimpker Brothers. They put on a set of politically-charged, uplifting music with strong gospel overtones. I loved the unyielding positive energy of their Hillside 2018 show.
NYC collective Megative put on a big, bold, engrossing man stage performance at Hillside 2018. The band takes the sprit of 70s punk and reggae and updates it for these batshit crazy times we're living in. They're a great band to show up for at the end of their set, as I found out. They exude a fantastic, fun energy and really got the crowd dancing and singing along.
They're back in the Toronto area on September 7 for a show at The Baby G. Go see them!
The Messthetics pretty much blew my mind at Hillside 2018. The trio perform hugely engrossing for instrumental music, which is high praise coming from me. I usually need a strong vocal personality to draw me in and instrumental music usually doesn't do the trick for me. With The Messthetics, the wall of sound, melodic journey, dynamic shifts and locked-in rhythm are more than enough.
The band consists of Brendan Canty on drums, Joe Lally on bass, and Anthony Pirog on the guitar. Canty and Lally were the rhythm section from legendary Washington post-hardcore band Fugazi. If I recall correctly, I previously saw Canty on drums with Bob Mould more than a decade ago.
In my notes, I described the music as psychedelic post-punk jazz. I loved Pirog's amazing guitar playing. and effects and loop manipulation. You'll also never see a more intense rhythm section than Canty and Lally.
The Messthetics were amazing. Give this band a listen and if you get the chance, take in their live show. It's was a highlight of Hillside 2018, without a doubt. Just incredible.
"Serpent Tongue"
"Radiation Fog/Crowds and Power", "The Inner Ocean", and "The Weaver"
