TURF 2015 Club Bonus Series: Highs at Lee's Palace - Concert Pictures

The Toronto Urban Roots Festival (TURF) is my favourite festival of the summer. Due to the Panam Games, the festival had to move from it's usual July dates to September. This also means that it's my last festival of the summer season. Save the best for last, they say. And so we did.

TURF 2015 got started for me on September 16 with their first Club Bonus Series show at Lee's Palace. First up on stage was Toronto alt-pop band Highs. ​They got the band going in 2012 and have built up quite an enthusiastic following, evidenced by those in the crowd shouting out the band member's names and singing along with their up-beat tunes.

Highs delivered high-energy, danceable tunes with lots of intertwined guitar licks.The second last song amped up the dancing in the crowd and got the sing-along going. Fun show from a cool band that I'm sure we'll be hearing more from.

Check out some Highs music:

"Mango"

"Gold"

"Still & Still"

Sista Fista at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Pictures

Sista Fista got the crowd riled up for L7 at The Danforth Music Hall. The Toronto band and their home-made vagina mascot were super excited for this gig. They are a hard rockin' band with dirty mouthed lyrics and plenty of attitude.

Their set featured tunes from their début At Your Cervix EP and new songs including "Above the Din" from their next album, which may be called Pap Smears are for Pussies. They put on a cool show and introduced their tunes to an appreciative audience. I'm sure we'll hear a lot more from this band.

Check out their EP, At Your Cervix. Be warned, I had "Hate Crime My Asshole" in my head for days after hearing it at the show.

New song from Elbow's Guy Garvey called Angela's Eyes

Elbow's Guy Garvey has a solo album on the way for an October 30 release. It's going to be called Courting the Squall and here's the first single is "Angela's Eyes". Enjoy Guy's distinctive voice over the tom-heavy drums and lightly funky guitar lines, along with keyboard riffing reminiscent of a James Bond theme. Nice!

Guy had this to say about the making of the album. "elbow graciously gave me some time to write a solo album. I’ve wanted to try for years and I’m really proud of it. ‘Solo’ because I wrote everything but I was far from alone. I invited my favourite players outside of elbow (many of them also my favourite people) and we moved fast, drank a lot and had what can only be described as a massive laugh along the way."

Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift is 10

New York City based Nada Surf play alternative rock / power pop. Their album The Weight Is A Gift came out 10 years ago today. It's a solid album of well-crafted power pop tunes that are still vital and engaging today.

They're at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern on November 16. I hope to be there.

Check out my favourite tunes from The Weight Is A Gift.

"Concrete Bed"

"Always Love"

"What Is Your Secret?"

"Armies Walk"

And my favourite song on this great album; the closing track, "Imaginary Friends".

Pic from Facebook.

Listen to some tunes from Dirty Ghosts new EP Cataract

I really dug Dirty Ghosts' 2012 album Metal Moon. It appeared on my best of lists for Albums, Top Canadian Songs and Top 20 Songs of 2012. They've got a new EP called Cataract out now. You can check out the official video for "Cataract" as well as the tunes "Witch Hunt" and "Quicksand Castle" below.

They're stopping in Toronto on an awesome bill with Diiv, No Joy and Sunflower Bean at The Danforth Music Hall on October 11. I hope to be there and I'll definitely be getting there early to see Dirty Ghosts rock out.

Pic from Facebook by Liz Caruana.